Ilvermorny and the Children of Magic
by Jbluejake
Summary: Future college student Jacob Johnson wants nothing more than to start his life at the U of M next fall. But when strange things begin to happen, endangering those around him, Jacob must journey to Ilvermorny to become a wizard, finding the strength to live a new life while a shadow looms over all of the Wizarding World, the Second Salemers, who are threatening to expose them all.
1. -The Federal Owl Postal Service-

It all started when an owl hit Jacob's windshield. He was driving to work on a late night in late July a road surrounded on both sides by thick trees, but his drive was cut short when that owl hit his windshield. Jacob was as tall as the average eighteen-year old, with dark brown hair that he slicked back each day with gel. He had deep green eyes and a little bit of hair on the right hand side that curled slightly, no matter what he'd do. He thought he'd ready for anything that might come his way while driving, considering how he was the passenger in an accident three years ago, which both he and the driver walked away from unscathed, but he didn't expect this to happen as he saw the owl flying towards him a little ways down the road from around the bend.

"Oh hey! It's a barn owl! That's cool" he thought to himself complacently, considering how he hardly ever saw a wild owl. Jacob was fond of nature, but little did he know he was about to get acquainted with it very quickly. The smile on his face soon turned to worry as he noticed it was flying straight for him.

"Holy CRAP!" he yelled as he slammed on the brakes, desperate to prevent a collision. He was too late though, and that still didn't stop the owl from flying into his car though. His car screeched to a stop and the owl made a crack as it hit his windshield and slid to a stop on the windshield wipers.

Utterly speechless, Jacob sat there, staring at the owl with a look reminiscent of a comedy where the main character would find peanut butter in his socks from his friend playing a joke on him. After a couple moments, he began to worry, thinking it dead.

"What in the _world_ am I supposed to do?! What are the odds that this crap would happen to me?!" he protested with a moan. He put his head in his hands and moaned again, but he quickly jumped out of his car with his tool he used to clean snow off his car in the winter, ready to gently nudge the owl off onto the road.

As he slowly approached the owl, it quickly stood up on his windshield-wipers as if nothing happened, causing Jacob to jump with a slight yelp. The owl stared at him with its large, black eyes in its smooth white face. Jacob was alone on this small stretch of road, with the sun going down behind the trees to his left. He looked around, wondering if anyone had lost their 'pet owl' (as ridiculous as that sounds). It then hopped within reach of him, its talons clicking as it hopped. It let out a small hoot, which made him jump again. Honestly, Jacob was thinking that somehow this owl must have a disease (normally owls didn't do this), but it looked healthier than any owl he'd ever seen (which in all honesty, isn't saying much... considering how he never sees any). Jacob decided to talk to the owl, considering how he didn't expect this encounter to get any stranger.

"D-do you want me to take that letter?" he asked nervously as he pointed at the letter, thinking that this was all very odd and strange. All Jacob had planned to do that night was drive to Target, check out some people who may or may not appreciate his services, and then drive home. Never in a million years did he think an owl would ram into his car!

The owl let out a small hoot again, which Jacob took as a yes. Still, he stood there staring at the owl without making a move for the letter, still feeling skittish. The owl hooted again, obviously losing its patience.

"Okay! Okay…." He muttered as he edged towards the owl, lifting up his hands in defeat, he decided he would grab it. The owl tilted its head to the left and decided that Jacob wasn't actually going to grab the letter, no matter what he said. So, the letter landed on the hood of his car with a flop.

He was scared to grab the letter, considering how easily he felt the owl could cut up his hand with its talons, but the owl flew off only a second after it dropped the letter. After the owl flew out of sight over the tree-line, Jacob grabbed the letter. It was an actual letter, which surprised him (considering how it came from a barn owl). Also, it was addressed to him! Looking around, he strained his eyes towards the woods on either side. He couldn't see anyone who would've sent the owl, which puzzled him even more. All he heard was birds chirping in the distance and the nearby highway a little ways away, he was alone on this calm road.

Jacob liked to consider myself a cautious individual, with no business with anyone he didn't know or come into contact with personally. This, however, was too strange to dismiss as easily as you would someone, let's say, offering you a vacation in a random phone call. Altogether flummoxed, he looked down at the letter and began to ponder how strangely it was addressed.

 **Mr. Jacob Johnson**

 **3206 Dragsburg Lane,**

 **Upper Level, Second Bedroom on the left-hand-side**

 **Minneapolis, Minnesota**

The envelope was thick and heavy, addressed in a deep-blue ink. It said his address like any other letter, but it even said which bedroom was his in the address. Immediately, he began to assume someone was stalking him, considering how they knew which bedroom was his, but why would someone use an owl to send him this? Couldn't have just mailed it in the mail like any other normal person? Also, owls couldn't be used to send letters…could they? He started to look at the back of the letter, where it was sealed with a wax stamp, but he quickly glanced at his watch and saw that he would be late if he stayed here any longer, so he quickly hopped back into his car. Grabbing the automatic shift of his blue car, he put the car into gear and drove off, the encounter with the owl still fresh in his mind. He was still shaken from the encounter, not because of the owl, but because of the letter, as he pulled into Target's parking lot. He put the letter into the glove-compartment of his car and hurried inside.

Jacob made his way inside and was eventually behind a register, ready to check out any customers. His manager walked up to him while he was checking a nice old-lady out and asked him why I was late, knowing that this wasn't usually like him.

"Johnson!" he said. "Why were you late today? This isn't like you!" the manager said with a gruff voice. Jacob quickly glanced at the clock and saw he was ten minutes late. His heart sank.

"I-I'm so sorry sir, an owl hit my windshield and would move!" Jacob earnestly said, not thinking that his manager would ever believe him. He didn't, but Jacob apologized so many times that his manager just let it go. Jacob didn't tell him about the letter though, thinking it would only make things worse. As time went on, he managed to forget the whole ordeal with the owl. He checked and bagged all sorts of things, from laundry detergent to turkey burgers. He also was checking out groceries near the end of all the lanes, so I had a nice view of all the apparel for the Minnesota Twins, Gophers, Wild, and more near the electronics section. He was especially fond of the Gopher apparel, considering how he was going to attend the University of Minnesota in the fall. The majority of his shift was good, better than he was used to, the only strange things was people dressed in robes walking around the store. Only when he had ten minutes left in my shift was he reminded of the owl.

"Good-evening ma'am" Jacob said to a lady who came into my lane. "Did you find everything alright today?" he asked as he began to check out her items, which seemed to be a lot of cat food.

"Yes, I did" she replied, obviously not too keen on conversation.

"That's good" he replied. They sat there in silence for a little while longer as she unloaded the rest of her groceries onto the conveyor belt.

"Excuse me sir…" she started as she put the final greek yogurt onto the belt.

"Yeah?" Jacob asked.

"Have you heard about the strange things that have been happening lately?" she asked.

"No" Jacob replied, slightly puzzled. "What strange things?"

"Well" she started; keen on gossip it looked like. "Apparently, owls have been seen flying around in during the day, for starters" Jacob's stomach sank.

"R-really?" he asked nervously, hoping she was joking.

"Yes! It's the strangest thing, and no one seems to know why. Also people are wearing the strangest clothes today" she said as she looked suspiciously at a small man wearing bright blue robes. Her receipt printed out, which he then handed to her.

"Thank you…" he said, trailing off, not wishing her a 'good-night' as he normally would to customers. She left and no one else came into my line so Jacob decided to ask his manager if he could leave, which he was allowed.

Jacob walked back to his car. He knew that his owl must've been a part of all this, but he wondered how he fit into all this. He ignited his car engine as he sat down in his car. He didn't feel like listening to the radio, considering how all of it was owl gossip, so he turned the radio off and began to stare into space, slowly thinking back to the letter sitting is his glove-compartment. Slowly, he opened it. Light streamed out as he reached inside and pulled the letter back out. No doubt, the same, oddly accurate address was looking back at him. He finally turned the letter over to look at the pink, wax seal. It was the strangest looking thing he had ever seen. The seal was shaped like a four-leaf clover, with a four different animals surrounding the center. A snake, bird, cat, and what looked like a 'porcupine-man' surrounded the center of this seal. Nothing indicated where, or who this letter came from. The seal gave off a regal feel, almost like the seal of a royal family in Medieval England. Thoughts flew through his mind, along with a bad feeling that he had caught something's attention, whether it is for good or ill. Knowing that his parents would be worried if he stayed out any longer, Jacob drove home.

He decided that when he got the chance, he would open this letter and read what was inside it.

 **Magical Creatures of the United States:**

Agropelter

Axe-Handle Hound

Ball-Tailed Cat

Bray Road Beast

Cactus Cat

Columbia River Sand Squink

Come-at-a-Body

Dingmaul

Dungavenhooter

Filla-Ma-Loo Bird

Frog-Men

Gumberoo

Hidebehind

Hodag

Hoop Snake

Horned Serpent

Hugag

Jackalope

Jersey Devil

Luferlang

Menehune

Mothman

Pukwudgie

Ravenmocker

Roperite

Rougarou

Rumptifusel

Sasquatch

Santer

Sidehill Gouger

Silver Cat

Snallygaster

Snipe

Snow-Snake

Squonk

Swamp Auger

Thunderbird

Tote-Road Shagamaw

Treesqueak

Tripodero

Wampus Cat

Whiffenpoof

Whirling Whimpus

White River Monster

NEXT CHAPTER: The Strangers and the Sea Serpent


	2. -The Strangers and the Sea Serpent-

It was a stormy, summer night on New Jersey shore of the Hudson River. The walking paths of Hamilton Park were soaked and slippery in the dazed light of the streetlamps. Off in the distance, the skyline of New York City shone like a glittering, metropolitan jewel and beyond a railed overlook, the Hudson River flowed southwards on its way to the Upper Bay, glittering in the dark of night from the luminance of New York City. It was silent in Hamilton Park, until a man walked into view from the shadows.

He wore a long, black raincoat that reached down to his knees. Peeking out from the colar was a dark blue New-York Yankees sweatshirt, whose hood blocked kept the man's ears nice and warm. His black tennis shoes splashed through the puddles without any second thought and his deep red leather gloves gripped a suitcase that he dragged behind him as he walked. He briefly stopped at the overlook and gazed at the lights of New York City. He smiled at the prospect of returning to his childhood home.

He made his way down and onto the side-walk of the street below, past the Weehawken Waterfront Park, glancing at the baseball fields his two sons would practice on almost every day as he passed by. The man was nearing his destination now, the docks at Lincoln Harbor. He reached an intersection and took the road that branched off to the right and towards the river. The clamor of construction could now be heard echoing from the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, disturbing the silence of the still night. The man made his way onto a pier that jutted out into the river and to a boat that was anchored on the docks, waiting for him.

The man's name was Adam Barrett, and he worked as an Electrical Engineer for the state of New Jersey. He lived with his wife and two sons in the suburbs of Weehawken. Adam and his wife had moved there ten years ag to get away from his…well, _crazy_ family that lived in New York City, but Adam always wished to return and walk down the bustling streets of Manhattan as he did as a child.

His family who still lived in New York City had grown slightly crazy over the years, becoming fanatics, you might say, over conspiracy theories, specifically, their own. Adam had always considered himself free from that insanity and set apart from them. Still, it always brewed in the back of his mind like the clouds that always lingered on the far horizon, threatening to bring a violent storm. It wasn't just his family, however, that believed the same conspiracy theories. There was the Sterne family who had shared the same experiences and opinions on them. Soon enough, both families had found each other and became good friends.

Adam was traveling across the Hudson River to stay with a member of the Sterne family, his childhood friend Eric. He had invited Adam to stay with him for a couple of days at Eric's apartment in Harlem. He wanted to "catch up" with Adam and "re-live the old days", as Eric phrased it. Even though they were both 26 years old at this point and hadn't seen each other for almost ten years now, Adam still felt like he had a connection with Eric that he didn't want to lose.

Adam greeted the man who sat on a small stool on the deck of the boat. He was old and grungy; a large amount of stubble covered an old and wrinkled face. The man's eyes darted back and forth warily, which so blue they appeared to be a luminescent grey. He wore a flat, plaid hat that sat on top of a mess of grey hair. In the man's hands was a small firearm, a black pistol.

"Hello there" Adam greeted him politely as he walked onto the boat, picking up his suitcase.

"How are ya" the old boat-man replied with a stony yet nervous look that matched his eyes. He fingered a bullet in his hands.

"Fine, fine. Just fine" Adam replied, not wanting to say any more than needed. He didn't want to be on the wrong end of that gun should he offend the boat-man by accident.

Adam brought his suitcase down to the lower halls of the boat to the cargo hold and then made his way back up to the main deck. They had pulled out of the harbor as Adam re-emerged out onto the deck.

His feet thudded against the wooden deck as walked towards a relatively dry chair. Adam sat down and pulled out a small book from his backpack, _The Crucible_. It was a favorite of his, being a fan of plays as well as stories relating to the Salem Witch Trails. He pulled out a small pair of reading glasses and gazed at the broken lines of speech, imagining the story as if unfolded in front of him on a stage as it did on the pages. Most of the boat-ride passed by in silence. The only sound for a long time was the calm flipping of pages and the lapping of the Hudson against the hull of the boat as the New Jersey shore passed away from view and into the night.

About halfway through their voyage, the boat suddenly shook violently and dipped to its starboard side. Adam slid off his chair and onto the wet deck in surprise. His book slid off the edge of the deck, under the guard rail, and into the Hudson. Adam had just reached the part of the story were Rebecca was accused by Anne Putnam of being a witch, one of the best parts (in his opinion). He growled in annoyance as his one of his favorite books was now lost, but he jerked his head back up as the boat-man tapped the glass behind Adam's head, beckoning him into the quarters as the boat returned to be level

Adam's muscles groaned after such a long time sitting down as he stood up from the deck. He slipped across the wooden deck to the nearby door. He grabbed the smooth and wet door handle opened the door. He quickly dived into the quarters.

"Did you…want to talk to me?" he asked the boat-man politely, not seeing any good reason for the boat-man's sudden desire to have a chat. The boat-man gazed at him before returning his gaze to the river.

"Just wanted to make sure that you weren't too scared or anythin' by that sudden shake. Also, I wanted to see if you wanted to turn back to the New Jersey" he told Adam with a hint of fear creeping into his voice, almost as if he wasn't telling him something. The boat-man stalled the boat. He then spoke into a small walkie-talkie on the control console and told one of the few crew members to drop anchor for a while.

"Why are we dropping anchor?" Adam inquired, starting to get confused.

"Well, there's really no point in running, Trust me, I've tried." the boat-man answered solemnly.

The room fell silent.

"Okay then" Adam said and sighed, "What's happening?" Adam sat down on a small stool that stood in the corner. The boat-man sighed.

"You remember how I didn't want to take you across the Hudson tonight?" he asked Adam. The man had picked up his gun again, which he now loaded with a bullet.

"Yeah…?" Adam answered. When Adam had first looked for people to take him to New York, no one was open that night. Instead, they all kept directing him to the same boat-man. When contacted him however, he utterly refused, almost acting like doing so would be a death sentence. It was only when Adam phoned Eric and told him about the problem, did Eric phone the boat-man himself and convinced him to bring Adam across. The boat-man continued.

"The past couple of days…I have had blank spots in my memory every time I reach this spot in the river at night. I would normally cross the Hudson at this time every night to get some basic supplies in New York city, but now I've been too scared to" he said with a shudder.

"Do you have any idea why?" Adam inquired, realizing the reason why the boat-man kept a pistol with him.

"No, I don't…" the boat-man moaned, putting his head into his hands. This was the first time he told anyone about this. He felt that if anyone had known, he would lose all his business, since no one would want to be in a boat driven by an old man with such bad memory loss. He continued.

"Every time I lose my memory, something rams into the boat and shakes it like it did just now-"

"Wait…" Adam interrupted him, holding up a hand towards the boat-man. "You said it was… _something_ " He turned and out the window and gazed towards the Hudson.

"Yea…something" the boat-man answered.

Silence fell again, with a heavy sense of foreboding in the air. The water had turned calm, eerily calm.

Suddenly, a large piercing shriek filled the air and the boat tipped steeply to the opposite side, port side, causing Adam, the boat-man, and the crew members to lurch to left. When the boat steadied itself, the man ran back outside. One of their crewmembers had been dragged overboard. The crew was in a panic, hurrying to grab life preservers and rope to drag her back onto the deck. The water seemed to be rippling and violently shook back and forth, as if something immensely large was in the water. This surrounded the whole boat, as did the creature, but it wasn't the creature that caused the boat-man's memory loss, it was what followed.

A huge crack noise filled the air, almost like the sound of a whip, followed by five more. Then, the water to the port side then seemed to explode with flashing lights like fireworks as a group of people wearing long overcoats appeared on the side of the boat. It was almost like they popped into existence. The waters around the boat had grown steady again and the woman who had been dragged overboard _floated_ out of the water and softly was set down onto the boat. She was then inspected by two of the new people on the boat. One of them held out what looked like a thin, smooth stick and brought the water out from her lungs.

 _"Ugh…stupid Sea Serpent. Now it's pulled someone overboard"_ one of them said, leaning on the railing of the boat. The man helping the woman replied,

 _"Well, at least she didn't drown. She just got scared and awfully wet, nothing a good ol'_ Obliviation _charm wouldn't fix. It probably just likes playing with the boat. You know how it's been with the Sea Serpents who live in these parts, they've always liked messing around with the boats"_ he laughed, _"Probably gets a kick out of giving the No-Majs a scare"_

When the boat had rocked the second time, the boat-man had hit his head on the control console, while Adam had just been dazed and surprised. He had slowly crawled to the opposite side of the boat in the cabin, so he could hear what the people were saying. His fears and terror that he only remembered as a child slowly came back to him, the clouds of obsession in the back of his mind were beginning to burst.

A third person joined in. _"But this keeps happening with the same boat! If this doesn't stop sometime soon, we'll have the whole of MACUSA breathing down the necks of all those poor saps at_ TheBody for Protection of Magical Species _for sure, not to mention_ The Committee for Conservation of Magical Habitats _too…"_

" _And a boat-captain with severe memory loss"_ the first person said with a slight chuckle.

Adam sat there, shaking as the storm engulfed him. He _knew_ who these people were, although he never thought he would meet them, almost like how you would never expect to meet Merlin the Wizard.

Evidently, you could meet some of the next best thing, his _kind_.

"Wh-wh…where did you people come from?!" the woman asked incredulously as she regained consciousness. The man who had removed the water from her lungs smiled benevolently.

"We saw that your boat had stopped in the middle of the Hudson and we thought we should see if everything was alright. We parked out boat off the starboard side" she told her nicely. Adam slowly rose onto his knees and glanced out towards the starboard side to get a good look at their ship.

There was no ship.

Noticing movement inside of the boat, one of the strangers looked inside the boat, his shadow moving against the window. Adam knew there was no point in attempting to hide from these… _wizards_. He stood up suddenly and ran towards the boat-man's gun which had fallen off the console and onto the floor next to the now unconscious boat-man. Adam turned back towards the door as the man slowly turned the doorknob and began to open it. Adam cocked the gun, his heart beating like a large drum while his breathing reached overdrive. Right as the door opened, a small stick was the first thing Adam saw, the wizard's wand. Before he could fire the gun, his body crumpled to the floor. All he heard before everything faded to black was:

 _"Obliviate"_

After a relatively uneventful boat ride, their boat pulled into Pier 82 near Hell's Kitchen the following morning. He walked onto the concrete and turned back to the boat-man, who had been looking dazed since they pulled into the harbor.

"Thank you for the ride" Adam told him.

"Yeah yeah…" the boat-man half-heartedly replied. "How much do you owe me?" he asked.

"Um…" Adam laughed, eyeing the man suspiciously. "Twenty-five dollars, just like we discussed" he laughed again. Doubt at the man's mental state crept into Adam's mind.

"Oh, yes…yes" the boat-man replied. He grabbed the money from Adam's hand and kept looking around at the pier. Adam grabbed his suitcase from a crew member and made his way to the nearby 12th Avenue where Eric's car sat waiting. The boat-man grabbed his arm and asked him one more question.

"Um…excuse me sir…" he began. Adam turned back towards him, puzzled.

"What is your name?" the boat-man asked. Adam looked at him with genuine concern this time.

"Adam. Adam Barrett" he told the boat-man. The boat-man nodded and turned back to his ship slowly. Adam then made his way up the pier, past the Manhattan Kayak shop and to 12th Avenue where Eric waited.

Adam jumped into Eric's car and buckled himself in.

"How's it going Adam?" Eric asked happily.

"Just fine" he replied contentedly. "Personally, you should be glad that the boat-man you convinced to ship me across got me here alive. His mind isn't what it used to be" he laughed.

"Well, I think you'd be glad that you did" Eric told him. The rest of the ride was silent, but Adam was just content watching the buildings pass him by. Through the endless crisscrossing of streets, their car made it thought the busy Times Square, with all of its dazzling neon signs for everything from fast-food joints and plays on Broadway, to adverts for movie blockbusters like _Wonder Woman_ and _Spiderman: Homecoming_.

They also passed through Rockefeller Center as they made their way towards the Eastern side of Manhattan. The golden statue of Prometheus shone in the sun, while the _Summer Garden & Bar_sat with tables filled with New-Yorkers eating a nice morning meal where the ice rink would be later that year. Eric turned the car north, but still didn't speak to Adam. He felt like Adam had been waiting for a long time to see New York again…so he didn't want to spoil it.

Eric frowned as they passed by Trump Tower, but Adam enjoyed seeing the glass building with its stepped façade running up the side of the tower, its glass glittering in the morning sun. His eyes popped again as they passed by Central Park. Adam had forgotten how large and expansive this park was, with another playground coming into view, Conservatory Water filled with its small boats, a bronze statue for _Alice in Wonderland_ , and eventually the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The immense size of the park kept hitting him as they passed by more meadows, lakes, gardens, and museums. Finally, the sights of Central Park passed them by as their car entered Harlem. At this point, the sights became unfamiliar and Adam started to talk with Eric about his life and what he'd been up to. Sooner than later, they reached the neighborhood where Eric's apartment was located. They parked the car a few blocks away and then reached the apartment. Eric's apartment was on the top floor, so they had to take an elevator up to get there with Adam's bags. Once the elevator reached the top floor, however, Eric stopped, holding his arm out to keep Adam in the elevator. After a few seconds of silence, Adam looked at Eric in confusion.

"Hey Eric…?" he began, "This is your floor, right?" Eric remained silent, staring at the elevator buttons.

"Adam" he answered, "How many buttons do you see here in the elevator? How many floors?" Adam looked at the sleek, grey wall. He saw as many buttons as there was supposed to be: six. Adam began to laugh.

"Why does it matter?" he asked. Eric's voice lowered as he replied.

"Tell me" he muttered back. Adam looked at the wall again, squinting his eyes for any sign of a removed button. Eric kept the elevator open as he looked, even shooing some people who wanted to use the elevator away. Adam began to get a headache after a while, but suddenly, his eyes seemed to play a trick on him. For a brief moment, he saw a button for a _seventh_ floor.

He laughed in disgust at himself for even thinking that it was possible. His eyes must've been playing tricks on him. Eric looked at him with immense interest.

"What?" he asked Adam. Adam shook his head.

"Nothing. There are no other buttons in this elevator" At this, Eric sighed, and they stepped out onto the sixth floor. Adam all of a sudden collapsed as he did so onto the floor with a gasp and a thud.

"Adam!" Eric said, steadying him against the wall. "What's wrong?!" Adam gasped and grimaced. He held his head as if he had just rammed it into a doorframe. Memories were flooding back to him. Brief glimpses of the boat ride to New York flooded his senses.

"I REMEMBER" he yelled. "I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!" he yelled. The witches and wizards, the Sea Serpent, everything came rushing back to him.

"Remember what?!" Eric asked frantically.

"Up until this point…the boat ride was a blur, a gap in my memory" he explained, gasping for air. People were opening their apartment doors to see what the commotion was. Eric angrily waved at them to get back inside. Adam continued.

"WITCHES AND WIZARDS HAD APPEARED ON THE SHIP. THEY ARE _REAL_ " Adam told him, a definite tone of terror in his voice.

"Oh my god…" Eric muttered, he hoisted up Adam and laid his arm across his shoulders. "I asked you how many buttons there were in that elevator because there aren't just six floors in this building, but seven. I've been to it myself. That's where the witches and wizards live"

They continued down the hallway.

Both of them entered Eric's apartment. It was a spacious, white room, filled with modern furniture that was arranged in a fresh and appealing manner. Eric had a hobby of home design on the side, so everything was perfect. He laid Adam down on his couch in front of his coffee-table. He then walked into an open doorway into his kitchen and grabbed a Dr. Pepper from the fridge. He cracked open the can and gave it to Adam.

"What the heck am I supposed to do with this?" he asked Eric, giving him a look that doubted his judgement. Eric had a double take, but then replied.

"Oh, sorry. Normally people don't think about giving others sugar when they're weak, but trust me" he told Adam, "This has enough sugar and caffeine to get you moving again"

Adam drank it and rested for a little while longer. Once he was refreshed, Eric began to explain things to him.

"This apartment building has a secret floor above this one. I checked multiple times, but there isn't enough of the building to have another floor on top of this one" he began. "That's where the _truth_ comes in" Eric got up and made his way into his room. He came back with a large plastic tub in his hands. Inside were pictures, pieces of paper, small Ziploc bags, and more. He pulled them out and began to show them to Adam. The first one was a wand, the second, a picture of three large hoops on the end of poles in the middle of the ocean. All of this was proof of what the Sterne and Barrett families had believed for decades, Magic was real, and witches were too.

"Listen, Adam…" Eric began as Adam was gazing at the evidence. "I need you to be with me on this"

"With you on what?" he asked, puzzled.

"I need you to join me as the co-head of the New Salem Philanthropic Society" Eric told him back intently. "Our families have the most experience with this problem, and we need to educate others, eradicate this plague, if we can. For the benefit of all mankind" Adam didn't even hesitate to respond.

"I'm with you" he answered directly. He slowly sat himself up and smiled. "Once we assemble enough people, how about we look for that little place known as _Ilvermorny?_ That might be a good place to start" he laughed, a mad glint coming into his eyes, which soon was in Eric's as they began to laugh violently and hard.

 **Magical Creatures of Canada:**

Adlet

Agloolik

Akhlut

Cadoborosaurus

Gaasyndethia (Species of Dragon)

Hapyxelor

Mahaha

Ogopogo

Qallupilluk

Waheela

Wendigo

 **Magical Creatures of Mexico:**

Ahuizhotl

Balam

Campacti (Species of Dragon)

Cadejo

Chupacabra

Cipactli

Hoga

Quetzalcoatl

Tlatecuhtli

Werejaguar

Xolotl


	3. -The Awakening of Magic-

The next day came as easily as ever, with Jacob getting a day off from work, which always pleased him. His mother and father left for work, leaving him alone. Jacob knew that this time was the best chance he would get to open his letter. As the clock on the mantle above the fireplace chimed 12:00, Jacob sat down at their dining room table and stared at the letter, sitting plainly on the table.

"Okay…." Jacob said, letting out a sigh and psyching himself up for opening a letter with such a strange magnitude surrounding it. Slowly, he broke the wax seal with a small crack. Nobody was holding him back from opening it, but he might get in trouble if he did. Even worse, he could realize someone really _was_ following him, which would be worse.

He opened the letter and pulled out the first of two papers.

ILVERMORNY

School _of_ WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Agilbert Fontaine

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Auror Descendant, Head of Educational Board at_

 _International Confederation of Wizards)_

Dear Mr. Johnson,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You will find a list enclosed of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 4th. A member of MACUSA will meet you shortly after opening this letter to help you and your family transition to the wizarding world.

Yours sincerely-

 _Harold Minten_

(Deputy Headmaster)

Jacob sat there in shock. The letter dropped from his hands onto the table. He began to hold his head and back away from the table.

"W-what?!" he asked, shocked. "Th-this can't be real. Magic doesn't exist!" His thoughts then turned back to the owl, which looked at him like it knew what was in that letter. Jacob's house was silent, but a deep tension now hung over everything. Turning back to the letter, his expression hardened. Grabbing the letter and crumpling it into a ball, he made a move to throw it away. Angrily, he walked over to the garbage can under their kitchen sink, but with his hand posed over the can, he stopped.

He looked back at the envelope on the table and his expression softened. What was once a deep anger and resentment towards what seemed to be a prank, turned to nothing, only thought remained. He unwrinkled the paper and read the letter again. Grabbing the letter off the table, he walked to his family's computer. Opening Google, he typed in the search bar: " _Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"_. Pressing enter, the results pulled up.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Taking this as a sign that Ilvermorny didn't exist, he made another move towards the trash can, but was stopped again, much to his annoyance, by a clicking at the window. That annoyance turned to confusion as he noticed another owl, this time a grey barred owl, which began to pick at the window with its talons.

"What on EARTH is going on?!" Jacob said, growing more annoyed, and scared by the minute. This time, Jacob opened the window without hesitation. The barred owl swooped in, dropped the letter right at Jacob's feet, and flew out as quickly as it came in. Picking up this letter, he again didn't hesitate. Inside he learned that this, all of this, was real.

 _Dear Mr. Johnson-_

 _A witch/wizard will soon visit your family, bearing news from MACUSA (short for Magical Congress of the United States of America). They will assist you in obtaining your supplies needed for the upcoming school year at Ilvermorny._

 _-Yours truly_

 _Samuel G. Quahog_

 _(President of MACUSA)_

Jacob looked down at the letter and set down the first one, telling him of his acceptance. Right as he was about to open the second paper in the envelope, he heard a loud crack at his front door. Altogether tired of being surprised like this, he didn't dare answer the door. Instead, he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO BE ANY PART OF WHATEVER YOU'RE UP TO!" he yelled.

It was then when his parents got home.

"For Pete's sake, Jacob! What are you yelling for?!" his father said as he walked in from the garage.

"D-dad?" Jacob asked. He was answered by his mother.

"Please, Jacob. Don't yell" she said, sounding like she just lost her favorite set of earrings. Jacob walked to them, but saw a third person with them. It was their friend from down the street, Mrs. Eversol.

"What's Mrs. Eversol doing here?" Jacob asked, confusion creeping into his voice. Mrs. Eversol looked at him plainly and smiled.

"Well, dear Jacob, didn't you get your letters?

We all sat down in the living room, the clock on the mantle ticking away. We all were silent for the past five minutes, but Mrs. Eversol began to talk again, breaking the silence.

"I know this all must be very hard for you to grasp, but your son's a wizard" she said, almost as if this was as normal as saying I was a human.

"Yes, you told us that before we came in the house, but how?" Jacob's dad asked.

"Alan, I know it's hard for you to understand, but there isn't any other way to explain it" she responded back sympathetically. "All of a sudden, he appeared on our list of magical children that need to be educated"

"But you can't just take Jacob away from us!" his mother responded back angrily. Raising her hands in defense, Mrs. Eversol decided to treat this as professionally as possible.

"If Jacob doesn't get educated at Ilvermorny, there's no telling what might happen" she said.

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked. Both his parents and Mrs. Eversol didn't expect him to say anything, but Mrs. Eversol was relieved by it.

"Children with magical abilities are known to exhibit paranormal abilities relating to their emotions, sometimes with dangerous or disastrous results" she explained. "Your parents said you were to attend college in the fall, correct?" she asked Jacob.

"Y-yes" He replied.

"If you go to the University, you are almost guaranteed to become stressed, angry, sad, happy, and more. Your magical abilities will most certainly show themselves. Would you like to explain to the authorities how your school books turned to cinders in your room? Or maybe you'd like to explain how the annoying student down the hall was found hanging from the ceiling by his ankles after he visited you?" she asked. The room fell silent again.

"Can that really happen?" Jacob whispered.

"Yes. Sometimes, even worse things might happen. Some develop an Obscurus, which would destroy everything in its wake" Mrs. Eversol replied, understanding that Jacob and his parents would be scared, but they needed to know how important it was for Jacob to attend this school. "I understand you may all be scared for Jacob, but you need to trust me. I have known you for all eighteen years you've lived down the road from me, and you have been able to trust me with everything. Absolutely _everything_ " She put a hand on his mother's shoulder.

"You need to trust me on this too" she whispered.

"Prove it then, Mary" his mother whispered back, tears in her eyes. "Prove magic exists"

Mrs. Eversol pulled out a slender piece of wood. She pointed it at the cupboard in the kitchen a ways away. All of a sudden, the doors flew open and four cups flew out. They then were filled up with water at the sink and flew back to them in the living room. They then set themselves down on cup-coasters and didn't move again. With awe on all of their faces, Mrs. Eversol decided that she had spent too long convincing them. It was time to show them what they needed to know.

"In the letter Jacob received yesterday, there was a letter from the Deputy Headmaster at Ilvermorny telling him of his acceptance. The second piece of paper told him what he needs for the upcoming school year" Mrs. Eversol started. She summoned the letter over to her and pulled out the final piece of paper. She flattened it out on the coffee table to read, which Jacob did as soon as she sat back from it.

ILVERMORNY

School _of_ WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

 **UNIFORM**

Incoming students are required to have:

Four sets of plain work-robes (Two blue, Two Cranberry-Pink)

One pair of protective gloves (dragon-hide or similar)

One winter coat (Blue or Cranberry with gold fastenings)

All students are required to wear their uniform when going to class, out in the halls, in the Feast Hall, or in the Library. Informal wear is allowed after the end of classes each day. (Please note all clothing should have the student's name on each piece to assist with Laundry)

 **COURSE BOOKS**

All students should have a copy of each of the following texts:

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

by Miranda Goshawk

 _A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot

 _Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

by Phyllida Spore

 _Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

by Newt Scamander

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

by Quentin Trimble

 _Chadwick's Charms, Vol. 1_

by Chadwick Boot

 **OTHER EQUIPMENT**

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE TO BE REMINDED THAT  
FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED PERSONAL BROOMSTICKS

"What…?" Jacob asked, entirely confused by what he saw on the paper.

"Don't worry Jacob" Mrs. Eversol assured him, smiling. "I'll help you find all that you need"

"Do wizards and witches use the American Dollar?" Jacob's dad interjected, obviously thinking about how in the world he would pay for it, typical for him.

"No, we use a set of currency called _Dragots_ " she replied. "Of course, MACUSA is required to pay for all tuition at Ilvermorny, as does each wizarding government in the world for their respective school. Also, since Jacob here doesn't have any Dragots to pay with himself, the government would be providing for his needed equipment, robes, and books as well, which he will be picking out himself"

"Where will he be doing that, exactly?" Jacob's mom asked, finally giving in to Jacob's acceptance at Ilvermorny. Mrs. Eversol smiled.

"Well, at the Wizarding Mall of America, of course!" she replied.

"Sure…why not?" Jacob's dad muttered as he put his head in his hands.

NEXT CHAPTER: THE WIZARDING MALL OF AMERICA

 ** _Magical Creature Profile, The Sasquatch:_**

The Sasquatch is a beast native to North America. It is known to be 6-10 ft tall and is covered in hair from head to toe, except on its hands and significantly large feet. While efforts to conceal the Sasquatch population from the non-magical world had been significantly increased since the Great Sasquatch Rebellion of 1892, most efforts to conceal the Sasquatch have now been mostly relegated to their own discernment, resulting in only a small amount of sightings. While their population is fairly large and is known to wander around the United States, Sasquatches are known to have a slight distaste for humans, avoiding them whenever possible, which is helped by their innate magic to disappear without a trace, leaving no more than string of footprints.


	4. -Inside the Wizarding Mall of America-

Jacob woke up early the next morning to Mrs. Eversol ringing the doorbell at the front door. She was as punctual as ever. Earlier the day before, they decided to have Mrs. Eversol stop by to help Jacob by his books and equipment, she would provide transportation, considering how she insisted "You'd never find it without my help, you silly No-Maj friends of mine!"

"Hello Mary" Jacob's mother muttered as she answered the front door. She was tired, looking like she didn't get much sleep the night before. She also seemed cold towards Mrs. Eversol in general, probably because she never expected her friend would be a witch, who never told her so. Mrs. Eversol didn't seemed phased at all however.

"It's great to see you Angeline!" she replied happily. Personally, Mrs. Eversol always wished she could've told the Johnson family about this earlier, but doing so would've only ended in the wizarding government getting involved and their memories would've been wiped. The thought of being more connected and kind towards each other on this deep of a level made her feel happier than she had in a long time.

Mrs. Eversol walked in right as Jacob came down the stairs to greet her. Unexpectedly, Jacob became enthusiastic towards this whole thing, magic, school, everything. He lay down in his bed the night before, thinking it all over. He was excited to attend the University of Minnesota in the fall, but if what she said was true….there was no alternative. Slowly, the idea grew on him. It was still very hard, with his life ahead of him; it felt like he was leaving it all behind. He was already dressed and had a small drawstring bag packed for the day trip.

"Hi" he said simply when he saw her. He jumped down past the remaining step onto the living room floor with a thud. "I still need to eat breakfast, and then we can go" he told her, never wanting to miss an opportunity to have food.

"That's alright!" she said happily. Taking off her purse, she followed Jacob as he walked into the kitchen to get breakfast ready. "We can actually use this time to bring you up to speed on what we'll be doing today" Mrs. Eversol said. Jacob nodded his head in acknowledgement and started to make his cereal and a bagel with cream cheese.

Now sitting at the dining room table, Mrs. Eversol began to tell Jacob about the Wizarding Mall of America.

"First of all…" she began. "The Wizarding Mall of America is located right below the Mall of America, as the name suggests. There, witches and wizards from all over the Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Dakotas, and the southern Canadian areas (near the border) come there to buy just about anything, ranging from pet toads to collapsible cauldrons" she said, smiling, obviously fond of the place.

"Wait" Jacob interrupted, confused at the concept of a whole mall underneath another one. "How can something like that stay hidden underneath the Mall of America?!" he asked.

"Well, its enchanted you see" she replied. "There aren't even any entrances to W.I.Z, as it's called, in the Mall of America. Too many No-Maj might accidentally walk in and then they'd have to be Obliviated" This puzzled Jacob.

"What is No-Maj and what is Obliviaa…?" he asked, realizing there was a lot he had to learn.

"A No-Maj is a person who doesn't have magical abilities, and it's called Obliviation, which is named after the spell. People who learn of magic are Obliviated to keep peace between the magical and non-magical communities" Mrs. Eversol replied back. "Who knows what would happen if the non-magical world knew about witches and wizards!" Jacob fell silent when she finished, having more than enough to think about.

"Finally, we are going to the Wizarding Mall of America through Apparation, which is to say, teleportation!" she smiled, happy to share all of this with Jacob. His eyes grew wide at the idea, which Mrs. Eversol found hilarious.

Soon enough, Mrs. Eversol and Jacob were standing out on the driveway. Jacob already said goodbye to his parents and was ready to leave. Mrs. Eversol stuck out her arm to Jacob.

"Grab hold" she said. Confused, Jacob grabbed hold, and instantly regretted it.

Mrs. Eversol twisted her arm and everything went black. Everything came in around him, pressing him hard from every angle, not being able to breath either. He felt like he was being squeezed into a string, horribly tight and awful to feel. Right as Jacob felt he couldn't take it anymore, they rematerialized. Slowly, Jacob opened his eyes, and he was greeted with the most fantastic sight.

He was underground, that much was clear, but it was as bright as above ground. Hundreds of people were bustling around, looking at shops windows and displays. Owls flew above Jacob's head down and off down many corridors. The walls were light tan, but that boring color was immediately contrasted by the light blues, green, yellows, and more from all the stores. All the signs he read were fantastic.

 _ **QUIDDITCH AND QUODPOT WARES: SPORTS APPAREL FOR ALL YOUR FAVORITE QUIDDITCH AND QUODPOT TEAMS!**_

 _ **MR. BOGEY'S WIZARDING PETS FOR ALL AGES: EVERYTHING YOU COULD WANT, FROM OWLS TO AXE-HANDLE HOUNDS AND CRUPS!**_

 _ **FLIP, TURN, AND SCRAWL: BOOKS FOR YOUR EVERY NEED, FROM THE HISTORY OF POTIONS, TO BOOKS ON CHARMS.**_

 _ **MR. STITCH'S ROBES FOR ALL OCCASIONS**_

 _ **TWELVE AURORS: PUB AND RESTRAUNT**_

The store windows were filled with all types of things, from Owls to Broomsticks. One window had a large, bronze telescope with spinning rims, while others had barrels upon barrels filled with different plants and bugs.

"Welcome to the Wizarding Mall of America" Mrs. Eversol said, smiling at Jacob's surprised reaction.

After walking around for a while, Jacob decided that he wanted to stop and get his robes first. So, walking in through the large, open entryway, they entered _Mr. Stitch's Robes for All Occasions_ , where they were greeted by a short, fat man.

"Hello there!" he said. "My name is Mr. Stitch, what are you looking for toda-Oh Mary!" he exclaimed as he saw Mrs. Eversol. "What brings a nice, paying, customer like you to my shop again?" he asked, wringing his hands.

"Nothing for me today Gerry" she replied, putting up her hand. "Today, I have an incoming student to Ilvermorny with me. He needs his robes and jacket for the upcoming school year" she pointed to Jacob as she said that. Mr. Stitch stuttered for a couple seconds, but broke out into a large smile.

"Of course of course!" he exclaimed. "Follow me this way sir!" he said. He jumped off the stool he was standing on behind the front desk and beckoned them to follow him towards the back of the store. They passed robes of all colors, some shimmering, some plain. Eventually, they walked into the changing area, with large mirrors and stools. Some stools already had some people on them.

"Stand up here" he told Jacob, pointing to a stool next to another boy. Jacob stood on it and Mr. Stitch picked up a measuring tape and began to measure him all over. Soon enough, he just let the measuring tape do its job by itself and he began to write on a small clipboard.

"Mr. Johnson, Ilvermorny robes are a mixture of a deep blue and a deep pink, often referred to as Cranberry. You'll be getting two robes of blue on the outside with Cranberry highlights, and two robes of Cranberry on the outside with blue highlights. What color of winter coat would you like, Blue or Cranberry?" he asked after this long lecture.

"Blue" he responded back without much thought. The boy on the stool to his left turned and looked at him.

"You're going to Ilvermorny too?" he asked sheepishly. The boy was approximately Jacob's height, with dark black hair that hung down on either side of his face. His face was covered in freckles and he was skinny, with brown eyes.

"Yes, I am" Jacob replied. "Are you?"

"Yea" the boy said. "Are you also eighteen?" he asked. It was an odd question, but Jacob still answered like he would any other question.

"Yeah" he said. The room was silent for a short time, but Jacob wanted to learn more about this boy, considering how he had no friends at the moment, he wanted to find some. "What's your name?" Jacob asked.

"Alan" he replied with a smile. Alan had also received a letter from Ilvermorny as unexpectedly as Jacob did. Sadly though, his family didn't have a friend to help him transition, a MACUSA employee just showed up and had to convince his family to let him go to Ilvermorny. "What house do you think you'll be in?" Alan asked, keen on being friends with Jacob. Jacob responded with a puzzled look.

"What do you mean by houses?" he asked. Jacob realized that he knew next to nothing about Ilvermorny, the sudden realization hit him hard.

"Oh" Alan said. "Well, at Ilvermorny all the students are split up into four different groups called houses. Each was made by a founder of the school. They are called Thunderbird, Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, and Wampus" he explained.

"What? What are those things?" Jacob asked confusedly. He was _definitely_ going to study up the moment he obtained his school books.

"Oh, those are magical creatures that are native to North America" Alan responded. Alan and Jacob kept chatting like this for a while, but sooner or later the process for getting his robes was completed, and he had to return and pick up his robes later, once they were made. After that, Jacob and Mrs. Eversol visited _Turn, Flip, and Scrawl_ to pick up his books, and more to get his supplies. Sometime after 12:00, Jacob turned towards a small shop at the end of a corridor that had an old wooden sign hanging above the entrance.

 _Elmeran's Fine Wands: Largest Variety of Wands in the Midwest_

Jacob and Mrs. Eversol walked in. Inside, there were shelves upon shelves filled with small, rectangular boxes. Behind the counter was a young man in his 20s. He smiled as they walked in.

"Hello hello!" he said. "Assuming you're here for anything other than a wand would be…" he walked around the desk and stared at Jacob. "…Foolish" He held out his hand for both Jacob and Mrs. Eversol to shake.

"Mr. Elmeran, maker of fine wands. Pleasure to meet you!" he told them. They thanked him right before he quickly turned around and walked into the rows of shelves. "What's your name?" he asked Jacob. Jacob told him his name. "Do you know much about wands?" he then asked. Jacob shook his head. "Well, I'll tell you then!" he replied from inside the shelves. "First of all, a wand has four different characteristics. The wood, the core, the bendiness, and the length make up a wand. Each part signifies something about the witch or wizard who possesses the wand" he then helped Jacob find a wand. Often, Jacob would be about to wave a wand, but Mr. Elmeran would quickly take it away from him. Eventually, after a pile of wands was on the front desk, they found Jacob's wand. It was 13 ¼ inches, made out of elm wood, fairly sturdy, and had a core of Thunderbird tail feather. Before Jacob left to go get his robes and an owl, Mr. Elmeran told him: "Be careful with that wand, wands with a Thunderbird tail feather core tend to spurt out curses pre-emptively"

Finally, with his own personal owl, a nice barred owl, Jacob was transported home, with instructions to get to Ilvermorny when September rolled around. Happy with what was waiting for him, Jacob began to read up on all of his school books and dreamed of what magic awaited him.

NEXT CHAPTER: A JOURNEY ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

 _ **Magical Creature Profile, The Axe-Handle Hound:**_

The Axe-Handle Hound is a magical pet owned and loved by many magical families in the northern United States. It has since been sold as pets to the rest of the US as well, but it has never reached the level of popularity as it enjoys in states such as Montana, Minnesota, and North Dakota. After many studies being performed on this magical species of dog, it was seen that the Axe-Handle Hound was once an ordinary dog, most likely owned by a magical family. It appears that at some point, that family had broken their axe that they used to chop firewood. Instead of purchasing a new one, however, they had decided to transfigure their poor dog into an axe. To their great surprise (and thanks to their lack of skill), their dog simply morphed into a dog that was shaped like an axe. They feared that any attempts to transfigure their dog back to its original appearance would make matters worse. As a result, the dog remained in its new shape, as did its young. Since then, it has been learned that the Axe-Handle Hound has a taste for the handles of axes (which can both be bought in bulk from your local magical menagerie) and it prefers to sleep on large stumps. Only one other case similar to the Axe-Handle Hound has been known to occur, where another poor dog was to be transfigured into a tea-pot but was instead transfigured into what is now known as the Teakettler.


	5. -A Journey on the Underground Railroad-

A whole month passed before Jacob was to travel to Ilvermorny. In that time, Jacob had packed and prepared everything he needed. Both of his parents had met with Mrs. Eversol many times in the past month and were now fully supporting Jacob's education at Ilvermorny (much to his relief).

Jacob jumped into the large minivan, with his family sitting in the fronts seat, his trunk sitting in the trunk of the car, and his grey Barred Owl (which he named Greyson) sat in the seat next to him, sleeping. They then began to travel to St. Paul, the capital of the state of Minnesota. There, Jacob was to meet Mrs. Eversol and she would guide him to the train that he would board and journey to Ilvermorny. After a couple hours, they had made it to the Saint Paul Union Depot. Walking around the Depot, they met up with Mrs. Eversol, who they chatted with until the train's departure time approached. Jacob looked around at the locations each train was going to on a large LED board. It was then he realized that he had no idea where Ilvermorny was.

"Mrs. Eversol…" he began. "Where is Ilvermorny exactly?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah I haven't told you yet, have I?" she laughed. "Well, you'll figure it out sooner or later. By protocol, I'm actually not allowed to tell you. Ilvermorny almost was exposed by some idiot daughter of the Keeper of Dragots _years_ ago. Also, you'll be making multiple stops before you reach Ilvermorny"

"Why?" Jacob asked.

"Ilvermorny doesn't just take students from Minnesota, but from the whole entire continent!" she told him. "As you travel to Ilvermorny, you'll be picking up students from all the lower states, with the only states not being on the train with you being the ones from the northeastern states" This still confused Jacob.

"Wait, if Ilvermorny takes students from all over North America, does that mean Canada and Mexico sends their students there?" he asked.

"Yes, they do" she replied.

"How do they get there?" Jacob pressed her, his interest mounting.

"Well, students from Canada travel to Ilvermorny on their traditional Flying-Canoes. They rise at the moonlight, gliding as if they are smoothly sailing through the endless expanse of stars in the night sky" Mrs. Eversol began to stare off into space, remembering the first time she saw it. Mrs. Eversol at one point was assigned to help with the transport of Canadian students, as a part of the agreement between MACUSA and the Canadian Ministry of Magic to educate their students at Ilvermorny. "Their oars row all by themselves and up into the night off the edge of Mount Rundle, where each student then sleeps in the comfort of their canoes under blankets and quilts made by the witches and wizards of the Canadian Native American tribes until till they reach Ilvermorny the next morning, descending like a cloud onto the grounds" she explained. Jacob began to imagine what that might've looked like, but then his thoughts turned to Mexico.

"How do students from Mexico get to Ilvermorny?" he asked.

"Well, I haven't seen them traveling…" Mrs. Eversol started. "But from what I've heard, they ride on the backs of the Feathered Serpents, the Quetzalcoatl, to Ilvermorny. They are fastened into magical saddles that are attached to their backs and then flown to Ilvermorny by the Quetzalcoatl themselves" she explained.

"Wait, do you mean _dragons?!_ " Jacob asked in shock and slightly louder than he probably should have, since some passerby gave him funny looks at this, but were able to dismiss him and kept walking.

"No, not exactly" Mrs. Eversol replied. "The Quetzalcoatl are a entirely unique magical creature only native to Mexico. They are known to be quite tricky to work with, as they are capable of human speech, but they are classified under the "Beast" category as they are quite dangerous if provoked. The Quetzalcoatl are distantly related to various Dragon breeds, Occamys, Snallygasters, and Sea Serpents too, but still, the Quetzalcoatl that bring the Mexican students to Ilvermorny have been allied and have been the protectors of the local Aztec and Mayan peoples for hundreds and hundreds of years. They were the ones who offered up their services to transport the students, whom they have grown to be very fond of over the years" she finished.

"So that leaves...us" Jacob said. "How do American students get to Ilvermorny? You mentioned a train?" he asked.

"Yes I did" Mrs. Eversol said. " _We,_ travel to Ilvermorny on the Underground Railroad"

Both Jacob and his parents fell silent at this, not comprehending this as much as they did anything else they've learned so far. Seeing the look of puzzlement on their faces, Mrs. Eversol explained.

"The Underground Railroad is a real railroad that runs through tunnels constructed under the entire country. It was built during the Civil Rights movement by witch and wizard abolitionists who wishes to free their enslaved counterparts in the South. Many in the magical community all over the world consider it to be one of the greatest monuments to the determination and spirit of wizarding-kind that has ever been built, often compared to the great wizarding schools of the world, like Hogwarts and Castelobruxo. Some even consider it to be the life-line of wizarding America as it is now used for many different things, transporting goods and services across all of the states, including Alaska and Hawaii" Jacob was really starting to get sick of being confused.

"Oh for goodness sake…what _is_ Hogwarts and Castelobruxo?!" he asked impatiently. It was then however that Mrs. Eversol looked at her watch, that had planets for numbers and stars for hands, and quickly told them that they had to get to the platform quick because the train for Ilvermorny would be arriving any minute.

They set off from the bench they were sitting on and walked down many different hallways, turning corner after corner until they reached a plain brick wall. Tapping it multiple times with her wand, a large door opened inwards from the wall and led to a passage that sloped downwards in the light of gas lamps. They entered the passage as the wall closed behind them and braziers grew brighter as they began to trek down the endless slope into the dark. When they reached the bottom, Jacob was dumbfounded once more. They had walked onto a metal catwalk suspended above long tracks and trains upon trains that sat motionless on their tracks. In the light of large chandeliers, they even more platforms for the large amount of trains stretching out into the darkness, without any sign of light coming from any directions the tracks went or came from. The cavern that held the station, a The Minnesota Safe-House it was called, was huge and was filled with stalactites and stalagmites that covered the ceiling and floor.

They walked down the metal stairs at the opposite end of the catwalk and onto one of platforms. After walking onwards into the maze of platforms for about five minutes with his trunk and owl in tow, their group finally reached the train. On a large brick pillar was a metal engraved sign that read:

 _-The I_ _lvermorny Railway-_

On the tracks in behind the sign was a huge, deep blue train, whose end couldn't be seen if you looked in either direction. Students and parents alike were saying goodbye on this crowded platform, reminding some to brush their teeth, to pay attention in class, and more, with students as young as 11 taking the hugs and kisses from their parents sheepishly, embarrassed. As Jacob approached the train, his things were taken by a railway employee dressed in blue and gold. He name appeared on a bag tag that appeared from the man's pocket and he sent it down to the luggage portion of the train. He saw that on each set of two cars was a name, denoting the place these cars came from. He saw cars that were labeled with _North Dakota, South_ _Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan,_ and _Iowa_.He then looked around at all the students climbing on the train into the car labeled _Minnesota_ in a bright gold and refined font. Some, as he saw earlier, looked like they were no older than 11. Some of the others looked like they were 17 at the oldest. As the train's departure time approached, Jacob hugged his parents goodbye and thanked Mrs. Eversol again for all of her help. He then boarded the train and was off. Jacob found a compartment lip by a small gas lamp and filled with tight chairs against a central table. Since it was empty, he situated himself in there, watching the cavern pass him by. Jacob began to wonder what would be waiting for him when he reached Ilvermorny.

 _"Good evening, Ilvermorny students! My name is Gredorin Ankle, and I will be your conductor for our journey"_ a deep, gravelly voice told him. _"As some of you may not know, this trip will take no more than two days and on the way, we will be stopping in the states of Illinois and Indiana before we end our journey at Ilvermorny in Massachussets. Sleeping quarters are located next to each compartment, with room for only four people of the same gender in each. Any student who attempts to sleep in a room designated for the opposite gender will not be allowed access, to say the least"_ the announcement finished.

Jacob sat there alone, realizing how long it would take to get to Ilvermorny, considering how he now knew it was in Massachusetts. He pulled out his school books and began to read. He would've brought his phone, but electronic equipment isn't allowed at Ilvermorny, and also this train had no outlets anyways. Much to his surprise, Carson popped in at the door.

"Oh thank goodness!" he said. "I finally caught up to you!" Carson then explained to Jacob that right as he climbed up onto the train he had arrived at the station, but his trunk popped open suddenly and his pewter cauldron began to roll away. He saw Jacob climb on the train and had tried to catch up to him, but he got caught up in a crowd of people and lost him. He had spent the last ten minutes looking for him up and down the train. He then sat down with Jacob and began to chat with him.

Both Jacob and Carson stayed with each other throughout the journey, receiving various types food throughout the ride from the attendants.

"What's this?" Jacob asked, grabbing the package of candy he was given. He read the label. " _Jelly Slugs?_ " he asked, not sure whether to give it a try or to just throw up pre-emptively. "Is all wizarding candy like this?"

Carson shrugged. "I think so" he replied, looking at his Chocolate Frog package like it was a bomb. "These aren't really frogs...do you think?" he asked.

"Dunno" Jacob said. He bit into one of the slugs and slowly realizing that it was pear flavored. It wasn't actually that bad. Carson opened the chocolate frog package and found the frog really did act like a frog, which he had to chase down in the compartment before he could actually eat it. The next night, the attendant returned back through the train, giving each compartment a copy of the newspaper _The New York Ghost_ from that same day.

"Hey Jacob, take a look at this" Carson told him, handing him the newspaper. On it, there was a headline that read: **MACUSA CALLS FOR CALM AS ANTI-WIZARDING SENTIMENT ARISES ONCE AGAIN.** Jacob read the story. There was a picture of two men with a crowd in front of a large skyscraper in what he assumed was New York City. They looked like they were waiting for something, but they weren't gaining much attention for what looked like a rally, despite their clear agitation. Jacob read the story.

 _Recently, a large group of No-Majs led by two men have stationed_ _themselves outside the Woolworth Building in New York City._ _Many of the No-Majs carried anti-wizarding signs that called to mind images from the Salem Witch Trials and_ _were seen to be carrying automatic weaponry. Although the Woolworth Building was made to be_ _a the head of New York's State Wizarding Government, MACUSA had originally been stationed there in building. It was only after No-Maj President Jimmy Carter requested_ _that MACUSA relocated to Washington D.C. under the Library of Congress. President of MACUSA Virginia Locklear_ _has requested that the entirety of the magical community of_ _the US remain calm, as that crowd_ _and movement haven't gained much attention since their demonstrations began._

Jacob read the article, being mildly interested but not too concerned. At that time however, the Quiet Hours began, the time where everyone set themselves down to sleep. If he had more time to think, he might've felt that something ominous was looming on their future, but all that was on his mind while he fell asleep was the wonders that he would behold at Ilvermorny.

NEXT CHAPTER: HOUSES OF ILVERMORNY

 _ **Magical Creature Profile, The Frog-Men:**_

Native to Ohio, but related to the Gill-Men of the Amazon Jungle, the Frog-Men are reptilian, bipedal creatures who stand at approximately four feet tall with webbed hands and feet. Their face shares similarities to that of a Frog's face, allowing this to be the main feature Magizoologists use to identify them against their Gill-Men cousins. The Frog-Men first gained the attention of No-Majs around the same time that the Giant Paul Bunyan had began to work with the No-Maj woodsmen of Minnesota, but they were eventually seen as monsters by all No-Majs and were often killed on sight. It was only when MACUSA began to work to preserve this creature in an unplottable reserve a couple of miles down the Little Miami River did the knowledge of the Loveland Frog pass into folklore. Still, thanks to the reserve's close proximity to Loveland, Ohio, it has earned the Frog-Men a famous reputation in that town, as Frog-Men (while incapable of speech) don't always enjoy living in the reserve and may sometimes leave on brief excursions to the surrounding area without the Wizarding Government of Ohio from taking notice.


	6. -The Foundations of Ilvermorny-

It had been two days since Jacob had first set out from Minnesota and since then, they had picked up multiple train cars filled with Ilvermorny students that have come from all the states, each one joined to the locomotive on the Ilvermorny Railway. As they rolled into their final stop, the conductor made a final announcement on the intercom.

 _"Thank you for riding the Ilvermorny Railway! Enjoy your year at Ilvermorny!"_ he said.

Both Jacob and Carson by then had already changed into their blue robes. The robes that they had bought in the Wizarding Mall of America were a deep shade of blue with cranberry colored robes underneath. The robes were held together right below their necks with a golden Celtic knot, the Gordian Knot of Ilvermorny. They were sent out of the train without their things, which were to be brought up to the school separately. They then climbed up the gentle include leading out of the Ilvermorny Station (Ilvermorny Safe House) and into the forest above.

Fir trees surrounded them as they stepped into a cobblestone courtyard, lit by old-fashioned street-lamps. They were surrounded by hundreds of students and the sounds of Spanish, English, and French were all mixed together as students from Mexico and Canada had already arrived. Many of them broke off from the group and began to trek through the forest. Jacob and Carson were about to follow them, but a small man standing on a box was gathering people around him, yelling: "First-years over this way! First-years over here!". As Jacob and Carson walked over to him, they realized that a bunch of short, 11-year olds were also gathering with them. The height difference was almost comical, but then Jacob began to realize that many of them had the experience with this school as a bunch 11-year olds did. His heart sank a little bit in disappointment at the thought of what ridicule could now occur, but he then turned back to the man on the box, who was dressed in long, purple robes. He began to speak to them, spreading out his hands like a performer.

"Welcome at long last to Ilvermorny!" he said happily. "Now, while the rest of the students are heading up to the castle to prepare for the Sorting Ceremony, we're just going to wait until they're ready before we head to the school ourselves" he told them. "My name is Anderson Spigett, and I am the Arithmancy professor" he finished before getting off his box and letting the students talk among themselves.

"What do you think Ilvermorny will be like?" Jacob asked Carson excitedly.

"Well, from what I read in _A History of Magic_ , it's a huge, yet homely castle" he replied thoughtfully. "There are many toweOn the train ride, both of them talked about what classes and subjects they were looking forward to the most. Carson was looking forward to Potions, while Jacob was looking forward to Flying, which first years have to take but others don't.

Quidditch was something both of them discussed excessively on the train. Inside _The New York Ghost_ , there was a section for Quidditch teams all over the United States, including the ones at Ilvermorny. Apparently, the Pukwudgie team had won the Quidditch cup last year, with Horned Serpent coming in at second, then Wampus and Thunderbird coming after that. Also, according to this, a "beginning of the year" Quidditch match would be held between the Thunderbirds and Wampus Cats following the first full day back, which would be tomorrow. Right as they were trying to determine which team was better, the Fitchburg Finches or the Minnesota Mountain-Lions, they had left the tree-line and were greeted with a wonderful sight. Ilvermorny.

Up on a far ridgeline was a large castle, with its windows glowing like stars under the clear night sky. There was many towers and turrets, all of different shapes and sizes. Some tall, some short, some square, some circular. Off to the left glowed what looked like a large stadium. Jacob and Carson knew right away that it was the Quidditch pitch. They could just make out the shape of three hoops poised on tall poles shining in the night; they must've been getting ready for the match tomorrow.

After another short walk, the group reached a large bridge that climbed over an equally large river. The man stopped them here and turned around to address them, with the group buzzing in excitement. For what, Jacob, Carson, and some of the others didn't know.

"Students!" the man said. "Some of you may already have guessed where we are, judging by your excitement, and you are correct! This is the same river where Ilvermorny founder, Isolt Sayre, first met the Horned Serpent with her Pukwudgie friend, William" He turned around and pointed at a statue a little ways down the shoreline to their right. "That statue, right there, is where she first met the Horned Serpent". It was an old statue, covered in moss, but still recognizable. In the moonlight, the figure of a woman and a large snake with pointed horns could be seen. It was built into the shoreline itself, with the cattails and reeds that covered the shore parting at this spot. Jacob and Carson stared at it in awe until they passed back into the trees and out of sight.

Their trek now continued upwards, up what must've been Mount Greylock. Again, they stopped, but this time at a path that branched and led off into the woods to their left. There, they came upon a large statue. The statue showed two boys, a mother, and a father holding a small child in his arms. With smiles on their faces, it was easy to feel welcomed in this clearing. The man turned back to them again.

"This clearing here is where Isolt first met James Steward, Chadwick Boot, and Webster Boot. This clearing has been held in reverence ever since the school was founded, in honor of the witches and wizards who died trying to make a new life for them in the New World, but also to honor the first meeting of all the founders of Ilvermorny" the man said, gesturing to the statue. They were able to look at it for a short while, but the man, who introduced himself as Professor Minten, the Deputy Headmaster at Ilvermorny. Professor Minten was dressed in dark red robes, with a short pointed hat on his head. He had small, circular glasses, and was about five feet tall. His robes fluttered behind him as they left the clearing.

Eventually, after stopping a couple more landmarks, like Chadwick's Overlook, they reached Ilvermorny. The castle looked even more fantastic and magical up close. Gawking at the huge towers, the group of students led by Professor Minten walked through a large wrought-iron gate into a paved courtyard. The gate had Ilvermorny's crest inlaid into the iron, with a Gordian Knot above the entrance. As Professor Minten directed them to the entrance of the castle, they walked past a large tree. From what Carson whispered to them as they walked past, it was the famous snake-wood tree. It was huge and thick, with silvery leaves glinting in the light given off by Ilvermorny. Before Carson could tell Jacob more, the crowd pushed them away. Their group turned and then walked up the staircase to the large, set of fir-wood doors that acted as the entrance. Gas lamps set within iron holders illuminated two, marble statues that guarded the front doors. One was of a woman dressed in traditional colonial garb, with the addition of a witch's robes. The pedestal she stood had **ISOLT** carved into it, and the other statue was of a tall, skinny man dressed in a man's colonial garb, with the name **JAMES** carved into it. Both of them were smiling, almost beckoning them all inside, and were freshly polished. The front door opened into a small entryway built out of granite bricks, with a lofty, peaked roof. Another set of large set of wooden doors faced them before they stopped. Inside, they could hear hundreds of voices chatting with each other. Professor Minten then turned around to us again.

"Students! Welcome to Ilvermorny. The beginning of year feast will begin soon, but before that you all need to be placed into your respective houses. This ceremony is very important because the founders of this school, a family themselves, wanted all the students to be put into houses. They wanted this because all of them wished to attend Hogwarts in the United Kingdom, but was prevented in doing so. To honor their wished for a little over four-hundred years, you will either be a part of Wampus Cat house, Horned Serpent House, Thunderbird house, or Pukwudgie house" He said loudly, looking at the whole assembly of first-years.

"While you stay here at Ilvermorny, your accomplishments will earn you house points and any rule breaking will lose your house points, as each Professor sees fit. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be given the House-Cup, which is always held to be a great honor among friendly sport and competition at this school. Even though competitions are held between each house, like Quidditch matches, the Transfiguration Tournament, The Charms Chalice, and more, this school above all else has been a family" He opened the door into the entry hall slightly.

"Please wait here as we prepare for you" he said as he entered the hall and disappeared. The first-years remained there, wondering what the sorting ceremony would be like. Would it be a test or what? Sooner than later however, Professor Minten returned. Smiling, he said: "We're ready for you"

The second set of doors was pulled open and we entered into the room. It was huge, with a small walkway running underneath what appeared to be a wooden balcony held above us by large wooden pillars carved like trees. Across from where we entered was a large set of doors, bigger than the ones we already walked through. The right and left side both had doors as well, leading to other parts of the castle. The biggest feature of this room however, was the huge wooden carvings. As we walked around the circular wall, we stared at these statues. The ones that flanked the entryway doors were the Thunderbird and Wampus cat, and the other two flanking the opposite doorway were the Horned Serpent and Pukwudgie. All of these statues were at least 14 feet tall, with all of them being the same shade of wood.

Professor Minten walked to the center of the room, spreading his hands out as he turned around and gazed at the students on the balcony, almost like a showman.

"Good evening everyone!" his voice boomed. "Tonight, we'll begin the sorting ceremony, but first, any words from our esteemed headmaster?" he asked with a warm smile, obviously immensely good friends with the headmaster. He turned to a man in his late forties sitting on a wooden chair above him. The man stood from his chair and addressed the students.

"No, thank you Professor Minten, but I have nothing to add, but only my warmest welcome to all of the new students who have journeyed to us from the world of No-Majs. My name is Agilbert Fontaine, and I am the headmaster here at Ilvermorny. I bid you come into this with a mind like a blank piece of parchment, ready for many glorious tales to be told on, and for a new journey to begin! Surely, our wonderful founders, Isolt, James, Webster, and Chadwick too, would've done all they could to make you all feel at home, and we will do the same" he said kindly with a smile. Agilbert's fondness wasn't that of an old man, but of a good man who knew what must be done.

"But you seem to have forgotten something Professor Minten" he told him from the balcony with a sly look in his eye. "Our school songs!" he exclaimed. A ribbon shot out of the end of his wand and unfurled, words appearing on it as the school burst into song.

 _We stand as one, united, against the Puritan!_

 _We draw our inspiration, from good witch Morrigan._

 _For she was persecuted, by common, wandless man,_

 _So she fled from distant Ireland, and so our school began!_

 _Ilvermorny, Massachussets!_

 _We choo-choose it!_

 _We choo-choose it!_

 _The Wizardry School Supreme!_

At "We choo-choose it!" the left and right side of the chamber echoed each other. It was surprisingly beautiful, with the majority of the students enjoying themselves as they sand.

 _Your castle walls, they kept us safe_

 _Our days with you a dream!_

 _You taught us all our magic, and now one thing's quite clear._

They began to echo each other again, singing together on the final line.

 _Wherever we roam, wherever we roam,_

 _Our one true home, our one and own,_

 _Is Ilvermorny dear!_

The song ended, and the sorting ceremony began. Mr. Minten walked up to the Gordian Knot in the center of the floor and began to call names.

"Grot, Drake!" Professor Minten began with. Drake walked out to the knot and looked up at the wooden carvings. The Pukwudgie and the Horned Serpent reacted to him, so he chose Horned Serpent. Soon enough, Jacob walked was called and walked onto the Gordian Knot. He looked up at all the statues, his heart pounding in his chest. The room was silent, until the first statue responded to him. The Thunderbird flapped its wings and the whole house erupted in cheers from the balcony. Next, the Horned Serpent responded, with its huge jewel glowing in its forehead. After that, no more statues responded. Jacob's voice responded loudly as many other students before him did.

"I choose THUNDERBIRD!" he yelled.

NEXT CHAPTER: LENGTHENING SHADOWS

 _ **Magical Creature Profile, The Santer:**_

The Santer is a magical beast native to the wooded swamps in western North Carolina. In appearance, it looks similar to that of a gopher, but with a large, round, bald head. It stands about 3-4 ft tall, it is about 4-5 ft long in length, and it has a tail that is as long as its body. What sets this magical creature apart from others native to the United States is its unique tail, which has eight large knots in it. These knots are known to be hot to the touch, often burning what it comes into contact with immediately. It uses this impressive tail to subdue its prey and to defend itself. While there have been no recorded Santer attacks on any witch or wizard, it has been known to kill livestock quickly and easily. Santer attacks on livestock are known to leave eight bruises and along with eight scorch marks on the corpse.


	7. -Lengthening Shadows-

It was October in Washington D.C. The cold wind blew across the streets as a lone man walked through towards the Capitol Building, which rose up from the landscape like a Greek temple. He walked up the front steps and into the building. As he walked into the Great Rotunda, he slowly disappeared down a spiral staircase in the floor. The brickwork slowly turned newer as what would've been thought of as a secret basement in the Capitol building turned into the headquarters for the Magical Congress of the United States of America.

The headquarters of MACUSA was a large chamber, reaching up towards the surface. Different doors led to different discussion chambers reserved for each federal office, board, committee, and more. The resident of the President for MACUSA was on the opposite end of the chamber, with a statue of all of the original Twelve Aurors in the center of the room, all of them standing back to back with their wands pointed upwards. Owls and Paper Airplanes flew around the space, with tubes filled with origami rats delivering messages to each part of the facility being seen protruding from the ceiling, weaving in and out of each other.

The man was greeted by MACUSA employees. "Greetings, Minister. Both President Quahog and President Varitas are ready to begin. Right this way" they told him politely. They bowed slightly and led him off past a memorial dedicated to the history of Wizarding-America. One panel had a man wearing a bandana and hat holding a wizard for ransom, another showed Ilvermorny with a witch and young girl to the right of it, the Twelve Aurors, and a life-size statue of Newt Scamander in front of the Woolworth Building with his creatures.

They passed the memorial and turned right. They then entered a door and found themselves in a large discussion hall, with chairs surrounding the perimeter of the room. A Caucasian man dressed in a suit and necktie (that swirled with moving spirals) and a Latino man dressed in a similar suit (but with a green, white, and red bow-tie).

"Bienvenue Minister Gagnon" President Quahog said as he entered the room. Minister Gagnon raised a hand in greeting. He greeted President Varitas.

"Buenos días, President Varitas" he said with a slight French accent. He then sat down with President Quahog and President Varitas and began to talk. All three of these men were some of the most powerful wizards in North America, heading the governments of each of the three major superpowers of North America. The only reason they didn't have President Elfin from Iceland, Minister Erickson from Greenland, and the leaders of magic from the Carribean Islands was because they had nothing to add or contribute to the discussion that President Quahog, Minister Gagnon, and President Varitas were about to have.

"Thank you for both coming here today. How was the journey from Ottawa, Minister Gagnon?" President Quahog asked.

"Just fine" he replied.

"How was the journey from Mexico City, President Varitas?" he then asked.

"Good, good" he said, but soon enough a tinge of slight annoyance creeped into his voice. "Now that we have the _formalities_ out of the way, maybe you can explain why it seems the United States has another group of 'Second-Salemers' on their hands?" he asked. Even though President Varitas had known President Quahog of the United States since they first took up office, Varitas was slowly getting impatient with the US.

"Yes, I'd like to know that too" Minister Gagnon added indignantly. Confused, President Quahog reassured them that there was nothing to worry about. Minister Gagnon had taken up office in Canada right after President Quahog did, which was welcomed by both the wizarding communities of Mexico and the United States.

"There is nothing for each of you to worry about. Honestly, I'm slightly confused at why what's happening in the United States has caught the attention of the magical communities of Canada and Mexico" he replied coldly. Often known to be hard and rugged, Samuel G. Quahog was the perfect man for the job as President of MACUSA.

"Ever since that Obscurus tore up New York City in 1926, both Canada and Mexico have kept their eyes on the United States to make sure they never broke the International Statue to Wizarding Secrecy" Varitas explained. "Considering how your non-magical population has a history of not liking you…." Even though Varitas was friends with both Gagnon and Quahog, he has had to deal with the recent plans made by President Trump for building a wall along the border of Mexico and the US, which would make his job harder as he now had to find a way to continue the open borders between the US and Mexican wizarding communities.

"Excuse me, President Varitas, but let me remind you that shortly after MACUSA repealed Rappaport's Law, all the Presidents of the United States, like President Barack Obama and George W. Bush, have taken the fact that magic exists in the United States very well, even going above and beyond to keep our world a secret. May I also remind you that we are a major reason why the Statue came into existence in the first place" Quahog said. "We aren't strangers to these types of things"

"Still" Gagnon interjected. "The anti-wizarding sentiment has now spread to both Canada and Mexico, which concerns us deeply"

"Should the non-magical populations of Canada and Mexico learn of the existence of magic, the United States _will_ provide assistance in wiping the memories of whoever may need it" President Quahog answered back as 'rock-hard' as ever. All three of them were shooting replies back and forth at each other at this point.

"What if the news of magic's existence leaks out from Mexico, Canada, or the United States to the rest of the world? How are we to account for the rest of the world?" Varitas asked.

"Are you suggesting that the International Confederation of Wizards should get involved?" Quahog asked incredulously, realizing how much he underestimated the concern both Canada and Mexico had for this topic.

"Well, if this is the same magnitude as that Obscurial accident…" Gagnon started, but Quahog interrupted him.

"The International Confederation of Wizards will only summon a meeting if all of them deem it absolutely necessary! And this is nowhere near as catastrophic as the Obscurial Credence Barebone"

"They may soon enough…" Gagnon said.

"If the International Confederation of Wizards had a habit of interfering in the affairs of a single country, they would've got themselves involved when Voldemort was on the rise in the UK" Quahog interrupted again. The room fell silent for a moment, but he then sighed.

"There must be something more than anti-wizarding sentiment on your minds" he told them. "Normally, you would never have requested a meeting for something like this"

"You're right" Gagnon told him. "We're concerned about _Ilvermorny_ " President Quahog sighed again at this.

"What _about_ Ilvermorny?" he asked. He had attended Ilvermorny himself. Quahog had lived in a small town in New Jersery, where he one day received his letter and went straight off to Ilvermorny, which he absolutely **loved**. He spent all seven years there as a member of Wampus Cat house.

"You are aware that we send students there, right?" Varitas asked. "Should Ilvermorny be discovered by your funny group of Second Salemers, we may be drawn into this problem too"

"Ilvermorny is one of the safest places in the magical world, only coming second to Hogwarts in the UK, and being on par with Castelobruxo in Brazil and Mahoutokoro in Japan" Quahog replied, immediately reminding them of this important fact.

"That still doesn't change the fact that someone has bought the land from the state of Massachusetts that Ilvermorny is located on!" Varitas exclaimed, losing patience with Quahog.

Silence fell as tension and worry appeared on President Quahog's face.

"As we speak, MACUSA officials are working to buy the land that Ilvermorny is located on" President Quahog said slowly.

"Also…" Minister Gagnon asked, "Why hasn't this been done before? Why did you leave the land Ilvermorny resides on to a non-magical government?" An owl flew in through the window and out the other.

"There was never a need to buy it because it was a State Reservation" Quahog replied. "No one wanted the land Ilvermorny was located on anyways, much less wanted it so much that they would purchase it from the government!"

"This is all very concerning Quahog" President Varitas told him, preparing the final threat. "Should the need arise, Mexico will remove their students from Ilvermorny and send them to Castelobruxo. If you can't get this under control, the agreement between Mexico and the United States will be terminated until further notice"

"Even though Ilvermorny is the largest of the eleven major wizarding schools…" Minister Gagnon added, not enjoying confronting his friend, but knowing it needed to be done, "There are more than enough smaller schools to send our students to in Canada"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen" Quahog said, raising up his hands in defense. "There will be no need for that. If needed, we will use magic to obtain the property for Ilvermorny. There is no need to be worried like this!"

"It's not only us who are worried" they both told him. "We have been contacted by the families from all over our countries, who are demanding that something be done to protect them and their students"

"Also, we are concerned that the new students who have recently been sent to Ilvermorny may expose us all. They won't feel any allegiance to us yet" Minister Gagnon explained. "Who's to say that even the _parents_ may choose to expose us, believing it's right?"

"They wouldn't dare" Quahog replied. "Not because we'd punish them, but because their children would be in severe danger" Quahog's secretary walked in at this and reminded him of his meeting with the Federal Office for Magical Games and their Regulation, which meant the meeting ended. They exchanged their goodbyes, and one by one, they left as President Quahog assured them that he would send a MACUSA official to Ilvermorny as soon as possible.

"Sadly, Quahog, not all the children who are sent to Ilvermorny may have parents who care more about exposing the magical world, the thing that changed their children, than finding their child a place in it" President Varitas muttered as he left and apparated back to Mexico City.

(Two Months Earlier)

Mr. Elmeran had just sold the last wand of the day to Jacob Johnson, a student going to Ilvermorny in the fall. He closed the front door to his shop and locked it, which he then protected against _Alohamora_. He walked up the stairs at the back of his shop to the upper level, which is where he stayed each night. He went to the fridge, grabbed a Dr. Pepper, and sat down on his couch to listen to the radio. He turned on the radio and the voice of a wizard popped out.

" _Thank you for tuning in to K.20_ ¼, _the most popular wizarding radio station in the Twin Cities. This upcoming track is by 'Mick and the Medicine Men' titled,_ _ **You're as Prickly as a Cactus Cat**_ _, from their new album,_ _ **'**_ **I Can Hide-Behind that!'** "

Smooth jazz then filled the room. Mr. Elmeran then pointed his wand, a rugged wand, at his fireplace, saying _Incendio,_ he lit a large fire in his fireplace. He began to look through his schedule for the upcoming week. On Monday, he was traveling to Canada to receive Agoolik hairs for wand cores. Tuesday, to Louisiana swamps for Rougarou hairs. Finally on Thursday, he would travel to the Redwoods in California for wand wood. He thought back, years and years ago, to when he met his wife. He was traveling to Mexico to look for Quetcoatzl feathers at Teotihuacan when he met his wife at the top of the tallest temple. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and when she fell in love with him, it was the happiest days of his life. He then married her two years later, which then resulted in five happy years together, before she died. Mr. Elmeran, whose first name was Jared, tried not to think about it too much, but she was a wandmaker as well, which gave him an even deeper drive to provide the best wands money could buy, in honor of the happiness they shared. Mr. Elmeran didn't have anyone else, so slowly the big wandmakers of the United States, Canada, and Mexico became like a second family to him.

Shortly after he sat down, he heard a loud banging at his front door. Slowly, he stood up and held his wand at the ready as he walked to the stairs. He then heard the door crack open with a huge CRASH!

"Who's there?" he yelled. "You better leave NOW, whoever you are!" He walked down the stairs. He then made his way through the rows upon rows of shelves carrying wands. Mr. Elmeran finally reached the front of the store, after stopping and starting again. Just as he expected, he found the door in a shattered heap on the floor, almost as if a battering ram knocked it off its hinges.

He sighed, but he didn't let his guard down. He knew they must be somewhere in his store. He heard a creak that ominously sounded like a footstep.

He was about to turn around, but that's when he blacked out from a gun pommel knocking him clean unconscious.

NEXT CHAPTER: LIFE AT ILVERMORNY

 _ **Magical Creature Profile,The Side-Hill Gouger:**_

The Side-Hill Gouger is found as two different species in two different regions of the United States: Nebraska and Oregon. It is born with one set of legs shorter than the other, leading it to find the sides of hills for its normal habitat. This leads the sides of hills in its habitat to be gouged out in their path as they make their daily trek around their hills. Still, should they need to move from one hill to the next, their packs form pairs to lean up against each other as they travel in flat terrain. The main differences between the two species, is that the Nebraskan Species is known to have thick and shaggy hair on the side with its longer legs, while the side close to the hills is smooth and tan. There is no noticeable difference in the symmetry of the Oregon variant. The milk produced by the Side-Hill Gouger is known to be used in various potions used to cure magical maladies.


	8. -Life at Ilvermorny-

Shortly after Jacob chose Thunderbird house, he was led from the Sorting Hall to the Feast Hall. He walked in and saw four long tables, all parallel to each other, with the teachers' table on an elevated platform on the opposite end of the room. The tables all had golden plates on them, with silverware and goblets to match, with long wooden benches lining each side of the tables for the students to sit on. The walls were flat and wooden, with small glowing lamps protruding from them and banners lined from one end of the room to another. Each one had one of the houses' crest on it, which all appeared to be very Celtic in design. The ceiling sloped upwards to the peak of the hall's roof, where a huge chandelier hung, providing all the light to the room. Large, elegant pillars of wood supported the huge ceiling. The floor was wooden and a dark color, but the platform the teachers' table was situated on was made of granite blocks, expertly cut. Many students were already sitting in the hall at all four tables, talking to each other. Teachers watched them from the edges of the room, making sure that none of them got into any mischief on their first day at Ilvermorny.

Turning back around to look at the Sorting Hall, he saw the large doors slowly close behind him as the next student walked onto the Gordian Knot. He then saw that there were two staircases that led to the balcony above from the Feast Hall. The person who led him from the room directed him to the table on the furthest right, which she said was Thunderbird House's table, where they would all sit for feasts and other important events in the Feast Hall. He sat down near a boy with dirty-blonde hair and a small, latino boy, who seemed to be like they were his age. Considering how much they were gawking at the Feast Hall, he guessed they were in the same boat as he was.

"Hey there" Jacob said as he sat down on the bench next to them. The two other boys looked at him.

"Hello" the Latino boy said, with a deep Spanish accent.

"Hi there!" the other boy said with a French accent. "What's your name?"

"Jacob" he replied, glad to see they friendly. "What about you guys?"

"Antonio" the Latino boy said with a smile.

"Felix" the boy (obviously from Canada) replied. "Where are you from?" he asked Jacob

"I'm from Minnesota, here in the United States" he said.

"Ah okay" Antonio said. "How was the journey here?"

"It was good. Kinda long at some points, but exciting" Jacob said, thinking back to the train ride. "It's a lot to take in!"

"Oh, it certainly is!" Felix exclaimed. "How did we not know that this whole time, witches and wizards lived among us!"

"Also, magical creatures!" Antonio added. This peaked Jacob's memory.

"Wait, don't the students from Mexico ride the Quetcoatzl to Ilvermorny?" Jacob asked, not seeing them arrive at Ilvermorny.

"Yes!" he said. "Personally, I found it a little nerve-racking, riding a feather serpent through the sky for hundreds of miles. I was clinging on for dear life, with my legs clutching onto its tough, leathery skin, while my hands were squeezing the life out of the Quetcoatzl's soft feathers" Antonio laughed. "It was still really amazing though to learn that such a creature, something so important to Mexico and Central America's history, really did exist"

"Well, maybe you would've liked riding the huge, flying canoes to Ilvermorny" Felix said. "It was crazy, with the wind blowing into your face and hundreds of canoes flying together in formation too! It felt and looked like we were sailing through a sea made of clouds" he remarked, with a little bit of awe creeping into his eyes as he remembered the beautiful experience.

Eventually, much to Jacob's surprise and relief, Alan entered the Feast Hall and sat down with Jacob, Felix, and Antonio at Thunderbird House's table. Apparently, Alan had the Wampus Cat react to him (which made him jump as it roared) and the Pukwudgie too. Alan had hesitated though, wanting to join Jacob (who he was becoming good friends with) in Thunderbird house. Right as Professor Minten was urging him to choose one, the Thunderbird beat its wings in approval.

Their talking went on like this for a while, with many remarks and ideas of what life at Ilvermorny was going to be like. When the sorting ceremony was finished, all the returning students and newly sorted students sat down at their respective tables. Headmaster Fontaine then took up his place at the Teachers' table with the other teachers and he brought the room to silence.

"Before we begin our feast, I would like to make a few 'beginning-of-the-year' announcements" he said.

"First, classes will begin in two days' time, with various activities being held to welcome the new students to Ilvermorny as well as give our returning students some time to enjoy themselves. The Quidditch game between Thunderbird house and Wampus Cat house will be held at 8:00 the day before classes begin, with our esteemed referee and flying instructor, Mr. Featherin" he said as he gestured to Mr. Featherin, an old wizard with long blonde hair and a beard, who raised a hand and waved at the congregation of students. "Refereeing the match" Fontaine finished.

"Second, the forest surrounding Ilvermorny is off limits beyond Horned Serpent River, due to MACUSA's request to keep Ilvermorny's students close to the school and to not run into any unsuspecting No-Maj who is out in the woods camping" he continued. "The Quidditch pitch is well within those boundaries, so Quidditch captains, don't send me any complaints please!" he said with a laugh and smile.

"Third, we have a new Keeper of Wands here at Ilvermorny, Anabelle Lune!" Agilbert said. An Asian witch stood up and waved at the congregation, not much unlike Mr. Featherin did before. Fontaine continued. "Any student who needs a new wand can make a request to meet with her and get a new wand in Steward Chamber. Also, first-years are not allowed to join the Quidditch team, but incoming students at the age of eighteen may tryout"

"Finally," He said, "Any student who disobeys rules put in place by the administration here at Ilvermorny can and will be subject to detention if needed" He rubbed his hands together and smiled. "With that out of the way, let's eat!" he clapped his hands and the plates were suddenly piled up with food. So many different types of food littered the table. Tacos sat next to Burgers, with casseroles, fruit, vegetables, pies, and more covering all the tables. Eventually, the meal ended and all the Prefects (as they were called) led the students to their dormitories. Jacob, Alan, Felix, Antonio, and all the others followed Derrick the Prefect through the passages of the castle, sometimes passing by windows looking over gardens and the forest, sometimes passing by open classrooms where teachers were preparing for the beginning of classes in two days.

Derrick walked up the stairs to the balcony in the Sorting Hall and then through the door on the right-hand side onto a walkway through what Derrick told them was named _Sayre Hall_. They then left Sayre Hall and walked through more hallways and walked across a bridge outside to the western part of the castle. By the time they stopped walking, they reached a large stretch of wall. Between two gas lamps, there was a huge map of North America, with Ilvermorny being marked with the school crest. The map was enchanted, with sea monsters and clouds that moved across the map on their own. Derrick then turned towards the assembly of new students.

"By the way, if anyone comes here to steal something, hurt someone, or anything like that, their tounges will cleave to the roof of their mouth and their eyes will cross" he said. He looked the students over with squinted eyes. "Since none of you seemed very confused, I'd say we're good!" he exclaimed as he turned towards the map.

" _Meriwether Lewis and William Clark"_ Derrick said. The clouds on the map disappeared and the monsters dove underwater. A crack appeared in the center of the map and the map swung inwards like a pair of double doors. As they groaned open, many of the students gasped. They then had a view of a dusty, stone floor, with a spiral staircase winding upwards. Derrick led Jacob and the others us the staircase as all their excitement made the air seem to buzz with excitement.

They reached the top of the staircase and saw an amazing sight: The Thunderbird Common Room. It was circular, with various couches, chairs, and desks littered around the room. A large fireplace roared off to the side, providing a nice, calming atmosphere to the room. The ceiling, however, was the greatest thing Jacob had ever seen. The Milky-Way and stars shone down, making it seem like there was no ceiling at all, or that the stone-brick walls just disappeared as they traveled upwards. Speaking of the walls, they were covered in maps of many different parts of the world. Jacob could spot South America, Canada, the United States, Asia, Africa, and the Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was hard to see the walls at all, but where there were no maps, there were beautiful landscape paintings and banners for Thunderbird house, showing their crest on a purple background. Bookshelves also lined the walls.

"Welcome to Thunderbird Common Room!" Derrick told them as they began to stop gawking at the ceiling. He then pointed at a billboard hanging crookedly on a window. "The password to get into the Common Room will always be posted on there. Make sure to check that every day. If you can't remember the password, you might be stuck outside until another student comes to help you" He then pointed to the staircase to the right and then another one opposite to it.

"The boys' dormitories are on the left side and the girls' are on the right. A sign on the wall will tell you which level each dormitory is on. Bathrooms are down at the bottom of the tower….and your things have already been brought to your dorms" Derrick finished.

Everyone began to relax and talk in the Common Room, still enamored by the ceiling, but Jacob, Alan, Felix, and Antonio walked up to their dorms. It was a small room, filled with four-poster beds. Not all of them were theirs', but they all had the first pick so they bunked next to each other. They then saw that with their things was a necktie and scarf, striped blue and yellow: Thunderbird House's colors.

Jacob and the others stayed in Thunderbird House's Common Room for the rest of the night, but they saw a post on the billboard saying: _ALL FIRST YEARS ARE TO REPORT TO THE FEAST HALL FOR A SPECIAL PRESENTATION, GIVEN BY HEADMASTER FONTAINE_ , which they attended the next day, right before the Quidditch match.

Jacob sat with the rest of the students on benches lined in rows. With Alan on his left and Antonio on his right, he waited with all the others for the presentation to start. Some returning students said it was boring, while others say they really enjoyed it…. but they've also heard everything in-between. All in all, they had no idea what to expect. Fontaine walked out in front of everyone and called for silence.

"Thank you" he said as the room fell silent. "Some of you may be wondering why I called you here today. I am here to tell you about Ilvermorny, setting things straight that you might've only guessed at"

He began to walk around the stage as he talked, obviously invested in what he was saying. As he began to talk, he showed them all that Ilvermorny wasn't just a wizarding school, but much more.

"Each of you is aware by now that the student body is split into four different 'houses'. That's because each of the founders learned about an extremely famous magical school in Europe called Hogwarts. That school was the first in the world to ever come up with the idea of houses. Not for sport and competition, like our school, but because each of those founders valued one set of traits above the others. Here at Ilvermorny, it isn't like that. Instead, they wanted to create their own version of Hogwarts for themselves. What they didn't expect however, is how different Ilvermorny would become from Hogwarts, how famous and wonderful it would become"  
"Today, I will be explaining these houses to you all, but the reason each house is based off of a magical creature was because the names of each founder weren't exactly… as elegant as the founders of Hogwarts. Isolt Sayre founded Horned Serpent house, James Steward founded Pukwudgie house, Webster Boot founded Wampus Cat house, and Chadwick Boot founded Thunderbird house. While each founder at Hogwarts chose their students based off of bravery, wit, kindness, and ambition, the founders of Ilvermorny didn't have that choice. Instead, their houses reflected themselves"

"Horned Serpent house favors the understanding and strong-willed. Thunderbird house favors the smart and temperamental. Wampus Cat house favors those who are loyal and argumentative. Pukwudgie house favors those who are open-minded and caring. This in mind, many people share traits from multiple houses, which is why the choice is left up to the student" Jacob was really enjoying this presentation, slowly beginning to understand, which he enjoyed.

"Also, each house is said to favor certain people. Wampus Cats: Warriors, Thunderbirds: Adventurers, Horned Serpents: Scholars, and Pukwudgies: Healers. This lines exactly with the idea that each house represents a certain part of each witch or wizard. Wampus Cats: Body, Thunderbirds: Soul, Horned Serpents: Mind, and Pukwudgies: Heart. Let me break it all down for you" Fontaine said.

"Wampus Cats tend to be very connected to that small little part inside you, that unexplainable part of you that gives reassurance and stability, no matter how scared you may be. It is more deep, infinite, and stronger than the tallest mountain ever seen. The part that gives you that solid existence, just like your body. You know you're real because you have a body. The body allows you to touch, see, feel, smell, move, and experience everything. The house made by Webster Boot made came to represent the fight to live on and to drive past everything, **EVERYTHING** that will ever stand in your way. Warriors tend to be connected to that part of you. If you couldn't ever move forward, how would you live? No amount of spirit, heart, and intelligence would move you forward if you couldn't _move_ and experience what the world has to offer"

"Pukwudgies are connected to the heart. All of our lives are filled with emotions, love, pride, grief, and more. The importance of that is so immense that no language that exists or ever will can never truly explain it. They are associated with healers because caring as much as they do gives the need to help, to see the value in every human person. Should you not have emotions, how would you live? You would be a husk, not meaning anything and not ever caring. The world could pass away… and you wouldn't bat an eye. The heart is one of the most powerful things in existence. This is also where Love originates, one of the most ancient and powerful forms of magic in the vast, eternal landscape of creation"

At this, Fontaine was really catching their attention. It was dark, sober, but in all aspects, shockingly honest.

"Thunderbirds are connected to that little _spark_ , the spark that drives you to get up each morning, whether you like it or not, that innate drive that resides in every single human being on the face of planet Earth, the soul. What would we be, without that drive? That is what pushes all to believe and to truly live. They will never give up, and never give in, even if they are an inch from death. The body allows you to fight, but this is what helps you win. They favor adventurers because those people are the ones who know there is something more to find, that there is something that we haven't found and discovered yet, something just beyond that beckoning horizon. If we didn't have that drive, we wouldn't be alive. We would end. Another word for all of this, is _hope_ "

"Horned Serpents are connected to that part in your mind that desires to know and learn more. If we didn't have that desire, we would never take a step forward into the future. We would always be stuck in one place, no matter what we would do. They favor scholars because scholars desire learning, just like Isolt Sayre herself did. So many parts of Ilvermorny are unexplainable, but in the end, we all will have this desire. The mind is what hearkens to this. Not many of you may realize this, but the mind is one of the most amazing things in existence. In one part of your body, you find memory, personality, control, understanding, and everything that makes you, you. Again, if we didn't have that desire we would all be stuck in the Stone Ages, with no understanding of how beautiful and majestic the human race and the world we inhabit truly is" Fontaine finished.

"Ilvermorny is a family. Ilvermorny represents beautiful, true, and raw _life_ "

UPCOMING CHAPTER: WHERE THE TRUTH LIES

 _ **Magical Creature Profile, The Tree-Squeak:**_

The Tree-Squeak is a weasel-like magical beast native to the northern reaches of Vermont, New Hampshire, and the southern reaches of Maine. Using its strong legs, it wraps itself onto trees, hardly ever touching the ground. It also has the ability to camouflage itself perfectly into the bark of that tree and then, as its name implies, it lets out a variety of calls from its perch, ranging from the whine of a panther, the squeal of a pig, and the roar of a large tree falling to the ground. This wide range of sounds that the Tree-Squeak can produce once made its vocal cords a useful ingredient in potions relating to speech. However, the Tree-Squeak falls under the Protection of Magical Creatures Act (enacted under President Seraphina Picquery in 1927), meaning that the Tree-Squeak's vocal cords are not used anymore in potions.


	9. -Where the Truth Lies-

Life at Ilvermorny started right away the morning after the Quidditch match. Jacob woke up to the clock that hung on their dormitory wall, which chimed 8:00. Getting up, he walked down to the bottom of the tower and took care of his morning routine. He then walked back up to his dormitory and got dressed. He tied his blue and yellow tie around his neck, put on his blue and cranberry robes, clasped them under his neck with the golden Gordian Knot, pinned his Thunderbird badge to his chest, and began to pack for the day.

Jacob had brought a small day bag with him, which he began to slide his books and supplies into. He put _Chadwick's Charms (Vol 1)_ , _The Standard Book of Spells (Gr. 1)_ , and all the others into his bag. He slid his smooth wand into his robes and put his dragon-skin gloves into his back pocket, with parchment, ink quill, and ink into a separate pocket in his bag. The door to their door opened with a creak as Jacob, Alan, Antonio, and Felix walked down the spiral staircase that led to the Common Room.

This morning, the ceiling was of the blue sky outside, with a few clouds passing by. Surprisingly, the fireplace was still burning, which all of them found to be strange, considering how the Common Room was kind of cold that morning. Exiting the bottom of the tower through the map of North America, all four of them walked to the Feast Hall. Some of them were nervous that they were going to get lost, but Alan remembered the most from the tour of the castle that the Head Boy of Thunderbird house gave them. They managed to make it to the Feast Hall right as breakfast was being served.

Sitting down at the table, they began to drink orange juice or pumpkin juice (which was _really_ good). Also, plates of bacon and French toast appeared in front of them, which they ate with gusto. About fifteen minutes before breakfast would end and classes would begin, they received their schedules from the head of their house, Professor Fey. Professor Fey was old, tall, and skinny. Even though she was coming up on the age of fifty, she looked great for her age. She wore a circlet around her head and long flowing robes that reached down to the floor. She was also the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She was passing out schedules to her students while Jacob, Felix, Antonio and Alan were deep in conversation about what their first day would be like.

"Obviously… Potions will be Potions" Felix asserted. "But what about Charms? Or Defense Against the Dark Arts?" he wondered.

"Personally, I'm excited for Flying lessons" Jacob insisted. "I would _love_ to ride a broomstick"

"What about Charms?" Alan nagged. "According to _Chadwick's Charms (Vol. 1)_ , we can do a lot of cool things with charms!" This was when Professor Fey walked up right behind them.

"Why aren't you all excited for _my_ class?" she asked with a smile. A couple of them jumped, not expecting her to be there, so she laughed.

"Here you all go. Your schedules for the day!" she told them as she handed them all yellow pieces of paper. Looking at them, they saw their schedule for the day.

9:00-9:45: Breakfast and Mail, Feast Hall (Look at schedule in Common Room for daily menus)

10:00-11:15: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Room 394, Sayre Hall (w/Horned Serpents)

11:30-12:45: Potions, Lowest Level, Potions Tower (w/Pukwudgies)

(Tuesdays and Thursdays: Charms, Room 123, Sayre Hall, (w/Pukwudgies))

12:45-1:30: Lunch, Feast Hall

1:45-3:00: Herbology, Greenhouse Glade (w/Horned Serpents)

(Tuesdays and Thursdays: History of Magic, Room 471, Western Wing, (w/Horned Serpents)

3:15-4:30: Astronomy, Astronomy Tower, Second Level, (w/Pukwudgies)

4:45-5:30: Flying Lessons, Courtyard, (w/Wampus Cats)

5:30-6:15: Break

6:15-7:00: Dinner, Feast Hall

7:00-10:30: Free-time

10:45: Lights Out

(No Classes on the Weekends)

NOTE: Pay attention to announcements in Common Room for Quidditch Games, which will fill in during Free-time, which is universal for all students.

Considering how it was a Monday, all of them headed off to Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was held in a nice classroom off of Sayre Hall, the hall directly to the left of the Sorting Hall, right behind the Front Wall. They had a view of a garden built right behind the Front Wall, with the sun was peeking over it. The bells from the nearby Bell Tower rang out loudly as class began.

Professor Fey was nice to all the students, but still very effective in her teaching skills. She began with wand-work as per the school standards. She explained that the biggest asset to defending yourself was the _Protego_ charm, otherwise known as the "Shield Charm". At the end of class, she even had the class attempt to cast that charm, which only a couple of them managed, Alan and Felix included.

After that was Potions. The Potions tower was close to Sayre Hall and the smallest tower the castle had. Each level was dedicated to whatever year in Potions you were in, with the bottom level for first-years (and Jacob's year) and the top level for seventh-years. Jacob and his friends reached their classroom early. The bottom level had various tables strewn about the room, with cauldrons and burners assorted about. A large cabinet to hold all the potion ingredients and spare books was against the wall. The class was taught by Professor Yew, an old, crabby witch who was _very_ into potions. Even though Ilvermorny's curriculum was very "wand-intensive", Potions was the only class that had no wandwork in it. Antonio managed to make his cauldron explode (somehow), which Professor Yew said was due to his lack of _enthusiasm_.

After that was Lunch. Jacob, Alan, and the others walked to Lunch from the Potions tower and began to eat sandwiches and more. They all talked about how classes went (while Antonio's eyebrows were still singed), but a girl sat down next to Jacob, much to his surprise.

"Hi!" she said enthusiastically. She was a red-head, with long hair tied up in a pony-tail. She was cute, in Jacob's opinion.

"Hey there!" he exclaimed. "What's up?"

"Not much, what about you?" she sighed. In all secrecy, she was totally enamored by Jacob.

"Nothing really" he replied. "What's your name?" he smiled.

"Jessica" she laughed. "Yours?"

"Jacob!" he said, really enjoying how this conversation was going. By the color of her tie, which was also blue and yellow, she was in Thunderbird house.

"Well, Jacob, what do you think of all this?" she inquired. "Pretty cool, right?" Just then however, the bell rang for them all to go to their next class.

Next up was Herbology. The Thunderbirds walked out of the castle's front doors with the Wampus Cats to the Greenhouse Glade. It was a large open space among the fir trees that held all the greenhouses. The teacher for Herbology was named Professor Bligg, a middle-aged man who was probably a teenage heart-throb for _Witch Weekly_ , with his perfect white teeth, and old-fashioned farmer like clothes, he could've easily passed in one of those Canada Dry commercials where somehow some unsuspecting ladies pulled out a man from the cooler where Canada Dry was sitting.

"Good afternoon class" he droned as he walked in the greenhouse.

"Good afternoon Professor Bligg" they responded back.

"Today we're going to start off Herbology with _Incendio_ and _Lumos Solem_ , important spells needed in Herbology. First of all, pull out your wands…" he continued.

They then learned the basics for those spells which they had to master by the next class period. After that, they moved onto very simple plants, like all the others in the greenhouse. They first handled the Bouncing Bulb, then Puffapods, and finally Spiky Bushes. As they left the greenhouse, some more happier than others, Jessica ran up to Jacob, Alan, and the other guys of Thunderbird house's new students.

"Hey Jacob" she said smiling. She hung her arms around Alan and Felix as she inserted herself into their conversation. Smiling at each other, the guys left Jacob and Jessica to talk to each other.

Jessica was eighteen, just like Jacob, but a few months older. She was from Boston, Massachusetts, with two older brothers and a nice dog.

"I've heard there was a bunch of different wizarding dogs" she thought. "Like the Teakettler, the Axe-Handle Hound, and the Crup!" Jessica walked close to Jacob, so much so that he could feel her body heat. "Personally, I think the Crup's strange tail is a little odd, but maybe that doesn't mean much, considering how I think a dog shaped like an axe is cuter!" she laughed. She had a lot of energy, but wasn't anything like the popular girls at Jacob's high school back in Minnesota. She then asked Jacob about himself and was a surprisingly good listener.

"Well, I'm from Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's a suburb of the Twin Cities. I live with my mom and dad, but I was going to the University of Minnesota in the fall" he said, among other things about himself. Right as they reached the base of the Astronomy tower, they realized that they had a lot in common, like their love of _Doctor Who_ and of both Marvel and DC comics. After that, Jacob immediately wanted to ask her on a date… but he had no idea how to do that. This was cut short as they walked up the staircase to their classroom for Astronomy.

Their classroom was spacy, with the ceiling above them being the underside of the floor above them. Their teacher sat behind a small desk that seemed out of place in what seemed like a floor of the tower used for storage. They all situated themselves at large desks and began to look at the charts hung up on the walls around them. Some were of the night sky, others were maps of the various planets in the solar system. Their teacher was an African American woman, both tall and skinny. Her name was Professor Spade, who was as cold as the planets and moons she taught, but sometimes as warm as the Sun. Her homework consisted of memorizing the movements of planets and the names of their moons. The Pukwudgies found this a little hard to deal with at first, but they got used to it.

Next was Flying lessons with the Wampus Cats. This class was taught by the acting referee for Ilvermorny, Mr. Featherin. He was nice, old, and wore glasses that seemed like they've spent all their time on his face pushed up onto his nose. His hair was pushed back all the time, almost as if he spent all his time flying on his Firebolt broomstick. The Thunderbirds were amazing on broomsticks, all getting recommended to practice more and try for the Quidditch team. The Horned Serpents were interested in the logistics behind all this, but all Mr. Featherin cared about was making sure they all knew "Up" from "Down"

That was the last lesson of the day. They went to dinner in the Feast Hall, which had lots of ham and potatoes, with some iced tea on the side (for Felix). Right as they sat down, they saw the headline of _The New York Ghost_.

 **FAMOUS WANDMAKER GOES MISSING**

Two months ago, the famous wandmaker Milten Elmeran was last seen at the Wizarding Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota. Mr. Elmeran was the only remaining member of the Elmeran family, the last ones who saw him were Mary Eversol and Jacob Johnson. Nothing seemed to be wrong, according to Mary Eversol, so it is suspected that he became missing unwillingly. His shop was found with the door forcefully broken down and the place ransacked. Anyone who has any knowledge of Mr. Elmeran, please contact MACUSA, as a manhunt for him will be going on shortly to find him.

Jacob stared down at the paper, dumbstruck.

"What's wrong Jacob?" Alan asked.

"Mr. Elmeran… sold me my wand" Jacob muttered. He sat down, realizing that one of the people responsible for helping him enter the wizarding world. Even though it felt like a small part of his life, he valued that. His wand became one of the most valued possessions he had, next to his cross necklace, which he'd been wearing since day one.

"He sold me mine too!" Alan exclaimed. "What on _earth_ happened to him?!"

"I'm sure they'll find him soon" Jessica assured them, who got her wand at a maker in _Margaret Jones Alley, Boston's hub for all things Magical!_

"I sure hope so" Jacob sighed. He turned over the page and read the opposite side, which wasn't much better.

 **SECOND SALEMERS HOLD DEMONSTRATION IN ADAMS, MASSACHUSSETS**

Recently, the group calling themselves _The Second Salemers_ held a demonstration in Adams, Massachussets. Throughout the demonstration, the leaders kept referring to Mount Greylock, the location of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The witches and wizards present at the demonstration from MACUSA assured the New York Ghost that there was nothing to worry about, considering how the No-Maj population present mostly thought of the demonstration as "crazy people at it again". Still, this hasn't prevented the magical community of North America, and now South America, from being concerned. MACUSA reassured everyone that they will be sending officials to Ilvermorny shortly to help the school stay hidden and defended.

"That doesn't sound good" Antonio said. "Do you really think these idiots will find this place?" he asked.

"I hope not!" Felix exclaimed. "That would spell chaos for the entire world"

UPCOMING CHAPTER: A GIANT PROBLEM

 _ **Magical Creature Profile, The Cactus Cat:**_

The Cactus Cat is native to New Mexico and the northern borders of the Mexican state of Sonora. It spends its days searching for cacti in order to drain some of the juice from the cactus to lap up with its prickly tongue. Once the proper incisions are made at the base of the cactus, the Cactus Cat climbs up to the top of the cactus and sits there in the sun. It is impervious to the cactus's sharp barbs due to its immensely tough hide. Should it need to sire its young, it cuts into the hollow insides of the cactus and sires its kittens inside the cactus, where an excess of juice exists to sustain its young. As the large razors blades on the kittens' front legs develop, they may begin to puncture the outer layer of the cactus, signifying the maturity of the kittens inside. The Cactus Cat's prickly fur can sometimes be sheared to be used in potions, which only now occurs in Sonora and is banned in New Mexico (see the previous entry for the reason why).


	10. -A Giant Problem-

The fall months continued as November approached. The green leaves of the summer-time on Mount Greylock slowly turned beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red. The pines and firs remained the same, unchanging with deep green needles. Giant feasts always littered the tables in the Feast Hall in preparation for Thanksgiving, while stone braziers throughout the hallways were lit with a calming fire, crackling into the evening. Each house slowly prepared for Thanksgiving, with large cornucopias replacing the carved centerpieces of the House Tables, while leaves that had fallen from the trees outside were enchanted to fly about the halls, dipping and swirling over everyone's heads as they bustled to their next class. Large stalks of brown corn grew up from the floor on every level, while turkeys could be sometimes seen traversing the grounds among large pumpkins, and gourds of every color. The brisk, fall air outside wasn't too cold, but nice enough to bring the nice feeling that comes with fall-time. Students wore tight-knit scarves and mittens of their house colors as they walked to Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology lessons. The only sounds that could be heard outside were the crunching of pine needles under your feet and the fall wind flowing through the trees.

In No-Maj America, they often celebrated Thanksgiving with the usual football game and lots of food. It was the same for Wizarding America, but instead of a football game, they all celebrated with a nice game of Quidditch, with the United States Quidditch League, the USQ, setting up fun festivities during the game. Ilvermorny had a similar tradition, going all the way back to the school's founding, where the houses would play a small tournament against each other, just for fun, where the results would all just be for sportsmanship and good-will, making the games fun for everyone. The first Thanksgiving in the magical world was held simultaneously alongside the No-Maj thanksgiving, with the magical people of the Native American tribes joining together with the Witches and Wizards of the Thirteen Colonies in the Appalachian Mountains. The location of this event would later be one of the many headquarters for the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Traditions for Thanksgiving from Mexico, the US, and Canada were all incorporated into Thanksgiving at Ilvermorny, to further bring everyone together. Ilvermorny also celebrated Thanksgiving a week early, allowing each student to experience Thanksgiving at Ilvermorny (known to be something not to miss), before returning home to their families on the week of Thanksgiving.

During this time, Jacob was practicing for one of the Thanksgiving games. There were two days before Thanksgiving, when Jacob made his way out to the quidditch pitch to practice early in the morning. His feet clipped and clopped on the cobblestone road that led to the Quidditch Pitch, which was hidden by the tree line. Jacob had tried out for the Thunderbird House Quidditch team around the end of October to become one of their Chasers, and much to his enthusiasm, he got in. Apparently for Jacob, riding a broom was as easy for him as riding a bike. The Captain of the Thunderbird House team, Alan, told him that apparently Thunderbird house has always been able to fly circles around their competition, making him a perfect match for the team.

The Quidditch Pitch at Ilvermorny was situated in a large, open area on the mountain side, with hardly any trees surrounding the pitch. Large stone turrets and Tudor style buildings surrounded the borders of the pitch, with enough space to allow anyone who wished to come and watch the Quidditch games at Ilvermorny to come and watch in comfort, kind of like College Football games. Each house had their own section of large rows of benches among stands, while larger, stone towers stood at the boundaries to offer the faculty a nice view of the proceedings from above.

That morning, Jacob was wearing his blue and yellow robes of the Thunderbird House team, with his Comet 290 slung over his shoulder in his gloved hands, and his backpack over the other shoulder. His _Comet_ _290_ was a relatively fast broom, nothing compared to a _Firebolt Supreme_ , but still a good broom for Ilvermorny Quidditch. As he walked up to a wrought iron gate, pulling out a key and walking into the pitch with the gate creaking to a shut behind him. He then turned sharply left and went inside an unlocked door into the stadium and underneath the stands, making his way down a candle-lit hallway to the Thunderbird Quidditch Team's Locker Room, the third door on the left. Inside, he met up with Alan Durnbuckle, a thin, hunched over, 18-year-old. Being the captain of the team, he was aspiring to join the USQ. He was from Fitchburg, a town in Massachusetts that was big on Quidditch, which made him a big fan of the Fitchburg Finches, the team he was aiming to join after he graduated this year. They then made their way out to the Quidditch pitch to give Jacob some extra practice, per Jacob's request. Jacob then began practicing his approach to the goal posts, weaving, dipping, and diving his way on his broom towards the three, classic goal-posts, large rings on the ends of giant poles that stretched into the sky.

The brisk autumn air brushed against Jacob's face on this bright, cloudless day. He briefly glanced back at Ilvermorny, admiring how beautiful it looked in the morning sun, the spires and towers rising up into the air among the clouds, the sun gleaming off of the windows, with owls flying about, stretching their wings. As the smooth, leather-covered quaffle hit his hands again with another THUD, on another pass through, Jacob saw something out of the corner of his eye that made him stop suddenly.

Trees, bending back and forth up the side of Mount Greylock. It was as if something huge was forcing its way through the trees on the opposite side of the mountain, almost near the Greylock War Memorial Tower. He began to slowly hover upwards, but as quickly as Jacob noticed the commotion, it died down to nothing. The trees stood still, not moving again, almost as if what Jacob had seen was just his imagination.

"Whatcha staring at?" Alan called from below, rubbing his hands together in the cold. Jacob looked down at him through the fog of his own breath.

"I saw… something strange" he replied. Jacob slowly floated back down to where Alan was. "Are there any really large magical creatures that live here on Mount Greylock?" he asked, still trying to work out what he just saw.

Alan thought for a second, but then shook his head and blew warm air into his hands. "No… I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"I just saw something huge moving in the trees off in the distance. The trees were bending and creaking violently, almost as if something was forcing its way through the woods" Jacob stated, pointing towards the Greylock War Memorial Tower.

"You must've been seeing things" he replied. "Not to discredit you, but if anything that big was moving that close to the No-Majs, we would've heard it from here" He pulled his scarf more closely around his neck.

"Yeah…" Jacob replied. "You're right. Must've not gotten enough sleep last night" he laughed.

Jacob then returned to solid ground with Alan, thinking he had enough practice for one morning. He packed up his things and briskly returned to the castle. Pushing through the front doors, he walked into the large entryway and into the Sorting Hall. He then made his way into the main halls of the castle. They were dim, with natural light coming through the arched, glass windows and the light of the braziers offering a nice, calming atmosphere to what would be stone cold halls. His made his way past the kitchens, past the Potions Tower, and past the Library to the Western Wing of Ilvermorny Castle. He replied _Buzz Aldrin_ to the Map, and entered Thunderbird Tower. The Kachinas were feeling lazy that morning, slowly drifting about and resting on their perches, snoring softly like little, whirring machines. When Jacob reached the top of the tower, he heard a large commotion coming from the Common Room.

"I'm _telling_ you Antonio…I didn't take _anything!_ " Jessica's voice emanated shrilly from the other side of the door.

"Then how come when I left the Common Room for breakfast, you were the only one here when I came back and realized that all of my books were gone?!" Antonio's voice retorted back at her.

Jacob decided to brave the oncoming storm, and see what was going on. He opened the pair of double doors leading into the lounge of the Common Room, and was greeted by an awful argument. Jessica was staring daggers at Antonio, her eyes blazing as much as her hair seemed to be. Felix stood off to the side and staring out the window, trying to look like he didn't know the two of them. Antonio looked slightly worried and timid, but held his ground. Both whirled on Jacob as he entered.

"JACOB" Jessica said, eyes widening. He breathing was heavy too, with anger. "Tell Antonio that I would never steal anything from him, and that even if I did, I would have had no place to store it before he got back!" she said as she ran up to him, grabbing his arm and fiercely pointing at Antonio.

"Don't listen to her!" Antonio retorted. "She was the only one here in the Common Room" he gestured aggressively to an open bookbag, with its contents strewn about everywhere. "And she was standing over this sorry sight, with no one else nearby"

Jacob was stunned by the sudden inclusion of himself in this argument. He slowly turned to Felix with a stunned look.

"D-d-did you see anything?" he asked him plainly. Felix shook his head.

" _Non_. Nothing" he replied. "I was down in the guys bathroom at the bottom of the tower when I heard Antonio yell from all the way up here. I came up here as fast as I could to see what was happening"

The other two still stared at Jacob, hoping he would help them solve this problem. Jacob, on the other hand, just wanted to divert their attention to something else, before it got ugly. Antonio apparently picked up an old Mexican Hex, and it didn't sound like fun, unless you considered your hair falling out as… _fun._

"Hey…Jessica?" Jacob asked. "Didn't we have a study session planned in the Library for today?" She stopped short when he said this, a puzzled look on her face as she began to remember. She then stopped again, eying him warily, immediately realizing what he was trying to do, and kind of annoyed that it almost worked.

"Also…" Jacob continued, "We have an upcoming test in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I don't completely understand the difference on how to repel Hags…." The room fell silent for a bit. Jessica sighed.

"Fine" she muttered. She turned on Antonio one last time, glaring as if to say " _Don't you dare think this is over"_. "I'll go get my books, one sec" she said as she turned up the staircase to the right and tramped out of sight, her footsteps creaking as she climbed up to the Girls Dormitory. Felix then saw his chance to lure Antonio away, right as Jacob gave him a subtle signal.

"Hey Antonio, how about we go down to a spare classroom and practice the charm _Lumos_? You and I both know you need more practice before tomorrow" he told Antonio. Soon enough, a disgruntled Antonio was leaving with Felix down the spiral staircase to the Third Floor Corridor of Ilvermorny castle. Once Jessica had come back with her books, she left with Jacob to go to the Library, the same one that Jacob had passed by that very same morning.

They walked up a short staircase through an open doorway, flanked by two large braziers. Once they entered, they came up on a large, stone floor covered by a large red carpet. In the middle of the carpet was a large round desk, with an old wizard sitting behind it, the Librarian, Mr. Daniels. He had small, round glasses, on an old, wrinkly face. He briefly glanced up at Jacob and Jessica as they entered, muttering something that sounded like "Fiddle-Muffins" and then looked back down to his book on the Rainier Decimal System, a system used for sorting magical books in Wizarding America, founded at Mount Rainier in Washington, location of the Tahoma Library, one of the largest magical libraries in the United States.

Jacob and Jessica walked past Mr. Daniels's desk, climbing one of the two staircases that led up to the upper floors of the Library. As they started up the stairs, the painting of Isolt opened and three Horned Serpent fourth-years walked out of it, only now waking up and going to get some breakfast. Jacob and Jessica reached the fourth floor of the library, taking their usual spot by the window, which always gave them a nice view of the Berkshires. They then pulled out their books from their bags and began to study.

"Jacob…" Jessica began. "Do you really think I stole Antonio's books from him?" she asked. A tinge of sadness was in her voice, causing Jacob to perk up. He looked into her eyes.

"No, of course not" he replied softly, seeing that this was important to her. "I know that you're better than that" He quickly looked down, catching himself staring into her brown eyes deeply. He scribbled down a note on the proper procedure on how to repel a Hag. Jessica sighed.

"Thank you, Jacob…it really means a lot to me" she said. He nodded in acknowledgement. In truth, Jacob had become very attached to Jessica. He loved how her hair fell over her shoulders, how deep and beautiful her brown eyes were, and sometimes her voice made him feel all warm inside. To make it even better, he sometimes thought that she felt the same way, while other times he couldn't be too sure. This was one of those moments where he felt they had something.

"Yeah, anytime" he stopped writing and looked up at her. "Why would Antonio get so upset at the fact that some of his books were gone?" he wondered aloud. "Couldn't he just order some new ones from Margaret Jones Alley? _Hamilton's Magical Bookstore_ is more than happy to supply Ilvermorny students with new schoolbooks" Jessica shook her head in reply.

A commotion had begun in the courtyard outside, yelling could be heard, with a loud BOOM. Maybe somebody set a Dungbomb off in front of a Pukwudgie caretaker. They always hated it when students made a mess.

"Your guess is as good as mine" she muttered, brushing her hair behind her ear. "The only book I think he cared about was _A History of Magic in Mexico_ , since it was a gift from his parents, and I'm pretty sure that was also the only book _Hamilton's_ wouldn't be able to replace"

"Well…" Jacob sighed. "I bet he could replace that somehow if he needed to"

"Yeah" she replied.

Everything then fell quiet for a moment, before….

BOOM! BOOM!

It was as if two battering rams hit both sides of the library. Everyone jumped up, and some people even screamed. Dust fell from the ceiling, books shot off the shelves and onto the floor, an unfortunate student was shot from the wall he was leaning on and right onto the floor, giving him a good smell and look at the carpet.

"What's happening?!" Jacob yelled as the thundering noise continued.

Soon enough, a large groan replaced the thundering booms. That was when the whole of the fourth floor began to heave and buckle under their feet. Jacob and Jessica grabbed on to the table and the wall, which they could feel straining to stay together. It was then when something huge shot past the window. They then looked down and saw they were slowly inching upwards. In panic and terror, they looked out the window again and saw Mount Greylock descending. Their view was blocked by what looked like a large object with grooves, similar to a… _fingerprint._

" _A Giant_ " Jacob whispered. His awe was cut short as they rocketed upwards, the bricks of Ilvermorny not being able to keep themselves attached anymore. Debris fell loudly onto the third floor below, as students dogged out of the way and hid under tables. Librarian Daniel slowly looked upwards, dumbfounded as the top floor of his library slowly rose up into the morning sky.

Everyone in the Library screamed as they got a good view of an old, classic, North American Giant.

Dressed in dark furs, the Giant was almost 100 feet tall. It had wrinkly hands the size of a small building, which grasped firmly grasped the fourth floor of the Library. The huge, knotted muscles in its arms and legs were covered in dark, brown hair, with long brown hair streaming down from its abnormally head to its thick shoulders. Its voice then bellowed out, causing the whole of Ilvermorny to cover their ears. It didn't yell anything distinct, instead, it sounded like it was howling in pain.

"WHAT DO WE DO?!" Jessica yelled as she hung onto a bookshelf for dear life.

"HEEEHHHH!" Jacob responded back as the Giant shook the Library back and forth. Soon enough, the yells and clamour of the faculty dragging students of the bottom three floors could be heard. Headmaster Fontaine even appeared, confronting the Giant. He stuck his wand to his throat, and his voice boomed as if his vocal cords had turned into a large pair of speakers.

"EXCUSE ME" he boomed towards the Giant. "MY NAME IS AGILBERT FONTAINE, ORDER OF MERLIN, MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENT'S MAGICAL CABINET, AND CONGRESSMAN OF THE MAGICAL CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I ORDER YOU TO RETURN THE TOP FLOOR OF THE LIBRARY SAFELY BACK TO THE GROUND, OR WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE, BUT TO FORCE YOU TO". Headmaster Fontaine was surprisingly threatening, especially considering how he wasn't just a teacher, but so much more. It was in this chaotic moment that Jacob caught a glimpse of Headmaster Fontaine's power and influence.

The Giant looked around absently, roaring again.

"WE DO NOT WISH TO DO YOU HARM. PLEASE, RETURN OUR STUDENTS TO US" Fontaine continued. Tension filled the air as the room stopped shaking. Jacob and Jessica breathed heavily, thinking it to be over, and that the Giant decided to listen to Headmaster Fontaine. They looked to the ruins of the library, over 50 feet below them. They saw that all of the students had been evacuated from the library and now the teachers had arranged themselves around the Giant, wands out at the ready and prepared to engage if needed. They looked at each other, concentrated, but slightly worried.

That was when the Giant dropped fourth floor of the Library.

The students screamed, some even slipping over the balcony into thin air. Jacob fell onto the now horizontal balcony, screaming along with the others as the ground seemed to approach faster, and faster…

"ARRESTO MOMENTUM!" the teachers bellowed simultaneously. Everything then came to a stand-still. Students, books, tables, chairs, even the building itself came to a standstill. Absentmindedly floating in midair, one sad student lost his lunch, while another was still clinging to his chair as he floated over 50 ft above the ground, as pale as a Ghost.

Everything then faded to black as Jacob blacked-out.

Jacob woke in the hospital wing, with all the other students unlucky enough to study on the Fourth Floor that evening. It was the middle of the afternoon, about 3:00, but Headmaster Fontaine had sat still in the corner of the room on a wooden chair, watching them closely since their traumatic experience. He was worried about them dearly, but even more about the 'No-Maj-turned-magic' students. Jacob looked and caught the Headmaster's eye, but before he could act like he was sleeping, Fontaine noticed and approached his bed.

"Hey" he said to Jacob softly. "Are you awake?"

Opening one eye, Jacob saw Jessica on the bed directly to his left, looking very pale. He slowly began to panic. Following his eyes, Fontaine saw Jessica.

"Don't worry. She will be fine. All of you were brought here, whether you fell unconscious or not. I wouldn't have allowed you to continue your coursework without making sure you all were alright" Fontaine smiled. "She was one of the strongest students, only accepting a Sleeping Draught after a lot of arguing". Jacob slowly sat up.

"Wh-what happened to the Giant?" he asked groggily.

"He was shrunk back down to his normal size" Fontaine replied. "Giants aren't normally that large, contrary to what No-Maj culture teaches you. That being said, they aren't that small either, being about 30 ft tall on average for a normal North American Giant"

"Then could it have been that tall?" Jacob asked. Fontaine sighed.

"Well…we know how, but we don't know why" Fontaine stated. "It was made that height through the Engorio Charm. Surprisingly, it managed to stay alive as it grew all the way up to that height, but it came with a cost. The Giant's brain swelled to such a large size that it developed a tumor" Fontaine's voice turned sad. "We couldn't save it before it died, only shrink it back down to its normal size. We told the local Giant tribes in the area, and we are working on learning which tribe this giant came from, maybe learn who cast the Charm"

Jacob remained silent, not sure what to say next.

"Well" Fontaine began, "You should be able to return to the Thunderbird Common Room now if you'd like. All you suffered from this was some bruised ribs and shock, which can be cured within minutes in the Wizarding world. If you somehow lost all of your bones, well, that would take a little bit longer, approximately 24 hours" he laughed at the look of suprise on Jacob's face, then patted his back.

"Whenever you're ready to head back, go ahead" he then got up from the bed and began to walk away.

"Headmaster?" Jacob quickly asked. Fontaine turned back around to look at Jacob. "Are you really going to stay here and watch over everyone else?" he finished asking. Fontaine adjusted his glasses, and replied.

"Of course. Being the Headmaster, it is my duty to ensure the well-being of everyone at this school, like a father to all of you, just as Isolt and James did. Still, I did bring a book to read. It's called _Transformation through the Ages, the 1990s and Beyond_. I've always been interested in how the original Axe-Handle Hound used to be a real axe…" he said as he sat back down in his chair, picking up a hard-cover book and turning to his bookmark.

Jacob, seeing that the Headmaster gave him permission to leave, was still hesitant about leaving. He didn't want to leave Jessica by herself. It was only when Nurse Annie came into the Hospital Wing with a student tied up like a balloon, floating upside down as he entered, did Jacob decide to give his bed up and leave.


	11. -What the Sticks can Tell-

Agilbert Fontaine, Headmaster of Ilvermorny, left the Hospital Wing late that same night. He passed by Pukwudgies cleaning the halls as he left, who muttered a minimal greeting as he continued his way. He took to the halls on the eastern side of the school and walked towards a large painting on the wall at the end of the hallway, his long blue robes flowing out behind him. He reached the painting, which rose from ground level to above his head, and set his hand on the canvas. It was a large painting of Isolt and her family, a family portrait. As he set his hand on the painting, Isolt reached out her hand and put touched hers to his. He muttered under his breath: _"Triskelion"_. The painting then opened outwards to reveal a large spiral staircase. He climbed upwards as the painting closed behind him.

The stairs led into the Headmaster's Office. He strode over to his desk and sat down, gazing at the large bundle of letters on his desk labeled: _"From Arkansas"_ , which sat next to another bundled labeled: _"From Idaho"_. Letters were coming in from all over the country, either to show support for the teachers at Ilvermorny… or to condemn them for their recklessness. He sighed, leaning back to gaze at the painted ceiling, like the inside of a cone that had beams protruding out and in to hold up the ceiling. The ceiling was painted to copy the night sky, moving as the stars did throughout the year. It was a gift from Alaska when they joined the United States. The stars were lit with what looked like glittering fishing line, outlining the constellations. The only sounds in his office was that of the glittering fire, tucked away in the corner, and the wind as it blew through the trees outside. Suddenly, someone began to knock at the door.

"Come in" Fontaine answered. The door to his office opened to reveal Jessica Fey, Head of Thunderbird House. She walked in briskly and stood before Fontaine.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" she asked. Fontaine shook his head.

"Nothing that isn't already happening inside my head" he replied, opening a drawer in his desk. He then set the bundles of letters next to others in the drawer labeled _From Mexico City_ and _From Manitoba_.

"We all know that could be many things, Headmaster" she told him, "What is it today?" she walked over to the chair in front of his desk and sat down.

"Oh, just the usual. Logistical stuff and how to best educate the students. The this batch of fifth years don't seem to have a good grasp on how much their O.W.L's matter to their future. The same thing goes for the sixth-years and their N.E.W.T's" he told her. He gestured towards a manila folder on his desk. "Still, there is more on my mind than just the usual stuff"

"The new students?" Fey asked.

"There is something about them, not just the fact that their magical abilities developed at such an advanced age, but that their fates now seem to be intertwined with that of our world very deeply" he muttered. Fontaine stood from his desk and walked over to the large fireplace hidden in the corner. By it stood a large pot. Normally, it would hold a large magical houseplant, but instead it held a large bundle of sticks and twigs. Fontaine grabbed them and walked back towards the large empty floorspace behind Professor Fey's chair with the sticks under his arm.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the art of Xylomancy, professor?" he asked her. She looked back at him, turning in her chair to face him.

"I have heard the name before, but I haven't studied it myself" she replied.

"Xylomancy is a branch of Divination that relies on various branches and twigs" he told her. "You toss the sticks onto the ground and look for various arrangements in the sticks once they land. The accuracy of the divination depends on how you throw the sticks, on how many you have, what their various lengths are, and more" he readjusted the sticks under his arm, undoing the knot of twine that held them together. "My father worked to perfect the skill by practicing with various Native American tribes all over North America for many years, eventually writing the book, _What the Twigs can Tell: The Art of Xylomancy_. Its the textbook used in our extracurricular class" he coughed.

"Enough of that" he muttered, tossing the sticks up into the air. They fell onto the ground in a loud clash of wood on stone. He knelt onto one knee and studied how they all landed. To some, it would look ridiculous what he was doing, but to him, it was a gateway into the future. His Inner Eye was probably one of the best and most accurate in North America.

"See anything?" Fey asked him. Fontaine sighed in reply.

"Nothing" he turned his head. "The Vermont Quodpot Team is going to have a good season this year, it's going to rain tomorrow, and the team that's going to win the Quidditch World Cup this year is…" he stopped suddenly as Fey sighed. He turned to her.

"I think we've had enough spoilers for one day" she told him, chuckling. He smiled back sheepishly.

"If you say so" Fontaine answered. He stood and walked out towards the balcony, which was shielded from the office by a large pair of iron-wrought doors. He opened both at the same time and went out onto the balcony, resting his elbows on the railing. Professor Fey followed him.

"That wasn't all that I saw" he told her as she stood next to him by the railing. "I saw a sign, a sign that appeared recently, the night that magical abilities suddenly appeared in nonmagical people worldwide" Fey turned towards him in concern.

"What sign?" she asked with concern in her voice, her blonde hair flowing back behind her in the wind.

"The sign of danger, immense danger" his voice lowered. "The last time this sign appeared was when Voldemort had risen to power. The sign never disappeared though after that fateful night in Godric's Hollow. It endured, much to my father's fears that Voldemort would return, just as he did. It was only after the Battle of Hogwarts that it disappeared. But after that night where the Wizarding World was shocked to its core, it returned" he told her. His eyes wandered to the Owlery off on the nearby hillside.

"From China to Brazil, the fact that this happened is earth-shattering for all of us" Fey told him. "It's making us question the most fundamental ways that our world works! Do you know _why_ these young adults suddenly have magical abilities?" Fey asked.

"No, I don't. It has been on my mind, however. I feel like there is some connection, the fact that this sign appeared again on the same day that these people suddenly develop magic. They must be important somehow!" he answered with annoyance at the question that has been eluding him for months now. He walked back into his office, throwing the doors back. "They are vital to what's coming, they have to be!" he stopped after putting the sticks back near the fireplace.

"I fear the incident with the Giant was only just the beginning"

Bonus Material, North American Magical Creature Profile:

 _-The Columbia River Sand Squink-_

 **MACUSA Rating:** Generally Passive Creature, but Untamable and Dangerous when Provoked

The Columbia River Sand Squink is a magical creature native to the northern reaches of the Rocky Mountains in the state of Washington. It's rabbit-like ears, coyote-like body, and its squirrel-like tail makes it one of the odder magical creatures to be discovered in North America. The diet of the Sand Squink mostly consists of fish, but it prefers electric eels when it can find them. This is due to this creature's ability to conduct, produce, and discharge large amounts of electricity. This creature produces eggs made of natural form of bakelite, an early type of plastic, and has been seen to line its nests with plastic materials, like old plastic inner tubes.

 _ **Quick Note from the Author, Answering Reviews left on this Story:**_

" _Great story. Hope you'll be writing more on it. Also why do students from Greenland and Iceland attend Ilvermorny? Isn't North America big enough? :) "_

This concept has been one of the tricky things about discovering how the wizarding world works in North America. First of all, one of the things I first realized is that while Ilvermorny is the main wizarding school of North America, there would be no reasonable way for the entire continent to be taught at the school due to the immense size of the continent. Because of this, I also spent a lot of time figuring out how the students from Mexico and Canada would arrive at Ilvermorny, resulting in my inspiration for the Flying-Canoes from Canada. In the case of Greenland and Iceland, I eventually decided upon excluding them from Ilvermorny to be taught in Europe (to reference the Norse colonization of the two countries). Whether I have updated this in that chapter at the time of this chapter being written, I don't know. It will be in the future when I eventually revisit that chapter.

" _Keep up good work. This is one of the most creative and loyal HP fanfics I've read"_

Thank you! One of my main goals when writing this story is to have an immense desire to keep what JK Rowling has already established, but to expand what she has not put into writing in ways that would be logical, realistic, magical, and quintessentially American.

" _Why is Jacob 18 when he's accepted into Ilvermorny? Shouldn't he be like 11?"_

While this is a logical question to ask prior to the release of this chapter, this concept is something that was written to create a central conflict between the main characters and the rest of the Wizarding World, a conflict that they will have to overcome in the future. This was also done to question some of the most basic concepts of Harry Potter and to briefly break down in this story the concept originally posed by JK Rowling.

 _Also, I will be updating the already existing chapters with their own Magical Creature Profiles, and a small list of them in the first chapter, in order to put the information I have been compiling to good use._

 _-JT_


	12. -Scourers and the Final Gift-

The next day came to Jacob differently than any had before. Jacob wasn't the same since the incident. He couldn't help but repeatedly remember the attack of the giant clearly. It was something he had never experienced before. Jacob's life had hung in the balance, a balance that hung in the hands of a monster, a monster incapable of understanding its own actions or the implications of what it could do in its deformed state. It had been clear to Jacob that the Giant couldn't respond the Fontaine's speech and commands. Instead, it acted very decisively and clearly against the school, blindly seeking to cause destruction to it and the students within. Its heart was empty and all that once filled it had been removed by something, by an outside force…by someone. Clearly, his time spent in the wizarding world had already changed him. The scar left by that hull of a creature could not have been undone by any sort of magic.

Jacob set out for the Dining Hall to eat some breakfast before he would leave for the first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts. He sat down at the Thunderbird table, filled with students from end to end. They were all still discussing the Giant, but also the state of MACUSA's response to the incident, that the incident was simply caused by a lack of vigilance on Ilvermorny School's part. The Thunderbird Table, hewn from rough logs that were connected and smoothed down for comfort, was covered in plates piled high with French Toast, Pancakes, Sausages, and more, all concocted by the chefs in the kitchens. He piled bits of bacon and lumps of scrambled eggs onto his plate. He began to dig in after opening his copy of _The Magical Peoples of North America_. He skimmed the table of contents, sliding his finger past _Sasquatch, The Little People,_ and _Adlets,_ until he saw _Giants_. He flipped the book to this section and began to read about the Giants native to North America. He read a brief subsection on the giant Paul Bunyan and his blue Re'em, Babe, but he felt as if he could hardly look at such an iconic American figure again without remembering that horrible lack of all thought and life in that creature's eyes. It was then that Antonio arrived and sat down next to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, glancing at Jacob's book and saw the word GIANTS listed at the top of the page. At this, his brow furrowed, and his heart turned solemn. Because of this, he quickly closed the book on Jacob and took it from him as soon as it slammed shut.

"Hey - what the heck are you doing?!" Jacob demanded. He briefly reached towards the book, but Antonio stood up from the long benches and took a step back. Jacob continued to press him. "Antonio give it back, I was reading that" he told him, a firm edge slowly seeping into his face and voice. Antonio looked at him but answered:

"Now you won't be" he answered, staring Jacob directly back into his eyes, choosing not to back down. However, Jacob stood up too and looked back at him with a cold state. He fingered his wand in his pocket before he repeated himself. "Give it back Antonio". Antonio had spent enough time with Jacob at this point to recognize Jacob fingering his wand. It was an action that had once been a fidget to Jacob, but now to Antonio, it seemed to be a threat. Antonio answered with:

"I'm trying to make a point, Jacob". They continued to stare at each other. What Antonio said slowly washed over him, along with the implications of what that meant. Some of the students from the other houses began to look at the two of them. Jacob slowly turned and at looked these other students and saw reflected on their faces what he was doing, threatening a fellow student, his _friend_. He let his wand go in his pocket and awkwardly sat back down, guiltily reassessing his thoughts. Antonio sat down next to him and gradually handed the book back to him. Jacob thanked him in a low mutter, laden with grief.

"Antonio, I'm very sorry" he told him. "I don't know what came over me". Antonio began to pile food onto his own plate and sighed, running his hand through his dark black hair. "I understand, Jacob…" Antonio answered. "But ever since you went through that awful experience, I realized that I needed to be there for you, for all the rest of us, to make sure we all the right choices, believe in the right ideas, and to keep ourselves together as one united family" Antonio continued. "No one else really has that innate responsibility to any single one of us while we're here. As a result, it is a responsibility that we all have to take upon ourselves for each other", he finished.

Antonio took out his wand (Applewood, Wampus Cat Hair, and 13 inches with an unyielding flexibility) and fiddled with it in his hands, choosing not to meet Jacob's eyes. Jacob took this unforeseen advice inwards and began to think on it, but they shortly had to leave for Defense Against the Dark Arts. They trudged off into the Western Wing of the school, eventually meeting up with Felix, Jessica, and Alan on the way. They reached the classroom, a long room with a low flat ceiling that curved into the walls on either side. A large, ornate window sat in the wall behind Professor Fae's desk, letting the early morning sun that peaked over the Appalachian Mountains through dark velvet curtains. They all sat at their desks, two students to each one (Jacob chose to sit with Alan), and they took out their parchment and quills as Professor Fae began her lecture.

Professor Fae began with a discussion concerning a branch of Dark Magic practiced in the southern states on the Gulf coast, a magic known as "Voodoo". With a large amount of people practicing this magic, they generally practice in a "Grey Area", where the practice of it is hardly frowned upon by the magical governments of states like Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, but it was technically outlawed by the magical governments of most other states. Still, even though most witches and wizards in the south hardly utilize the darker side of Voodoo, it was determined by the Ilvermorny teachers that they needed to know how to combat it, should they be faced with a Dark Wizard well-versed in Voodoo. The discussion slowly turned to other types of Dark Magic that exist in the world, like the Dark Arts in Europe. A student in the back of the class raised their hand.

"Professor Fae, I was wondering, were the witches put to death during the time of Salem guilty of the crimes they were killed for?" he asked. The student's name was Derek Deckle, a squib turned wizard like Jacob was. The Salem Witch Trials were taught regularly to children of magical families, but in recent years the wizarding public's perception of the trials almost always placed the blame on the No-Majs responsible for it, not on the others hidden in their ranks, the ones who pulled the strings, the ones who were truly responsible. Professor Fae stopped in her tracks and studied him, wondering how to respond. It was a reaction akin to how a parent would respond to its child asking about something that was out of its depth. Her voice softened before responding.

"Well… no" she answered quietly. "Their supposed 'crimes' were only fabrications supported by fraudulent evidence. These fabrications were the work of what our historians call _Scourers_ " the name hung over each student. "That name was given to them to represent the reason they came to the United States in the first place: to apprehend criminal wizards or witches, scouring the US from those criminals" she closed her book and stood in front of her desk. "It was after being separated from their home governments for such a long time that they began to grow corrupt in their hearts and lost sight of their goals" she told them. "They resorted to handing over innocent No-Majs to the Puritans if it meant that they could profit off it". She stopped. "However, while this is certainly a big part of our history, and the plague of Scourers was never truly cured, or how our lives changed because of them, but this topic is normally reserved for your History of Magic class by Professor Gridderick later this semester. Now, since we've covered Voodoo, we're going to be moving on to the _Protego_ charm and a bit of practice" With that, they moved on and didn't bring up the topic again.

Jacob left the room with his friends into the hallway outside the classroom. As they turned the corner to go back to their free period, however, a stone brick in the wall at Jacob's feet jutted out slightly right as he walked by, causing him to trip and fall. He wasn't hurt, as his friends made sure of, but in the process, he dropped all his parchment onto the ground and Jessica stooped down to help him. As he did, the stone that tripped him slid back into place, but a small glint caught his eye in the crack between the bricks. As Jessica kept working to put his parchment back together, he quickly pried a small metallic object from the crack. He saw that it was a One-Dragot, an octagonal, silver coin that appeared to be hundreds of years old, since the date it was minted said _1708_. He looked at it and put it into his pocket for later inspection. As Jessica stood up, she got swept up in a crowd of people leaving Charms. Jacob, slightly disgruntled by the fact that he had to leave for the Common Room by himself, waited until the crowd left and then made his way behind the crowd towards Thunderbird Tower.

He eventually reached the hallways towards the entrance to Thunderbird Tower, which was empty and alone, but as he started walking down the hall, he felt the Dragot in his pocket slowly warm up. Suddenly, halfway down the hall, a large stone wall jutted out from his left and slammed the hallway to a dead-end. Jacob fell back onto the floor, mouth agape, while two small wall braziers popped from the wall. Anyone who had come to the hallway at that point may not have even realized that the hallway had extended any further. Jacob, sat there in awe. The Dragot in his pocket was unnaturally hot now. He took it from his pocket and looked at it. On one side was the general logo for the National Dragot Treasury along with the minting date, while on the other side was instead the Ilvermorny Seal. A small subscript sat below the logo, reading "One Last Gift for my new Home". As Jacob read this, another portion of the wall slid away to reveal a stairway descending into darkness. Almost as if beckoned by some unknown force, Jacob slowly walked down the staircase and into the darkness.

 _ **Magical Creature Profile, The Snow Snake:**_

Originally native to Siberia, the Snow Snake migrated over to North America across the Bering Strait hundreds of years ago, resulting in two species of Snow Snake developing in the world simultaneously, one in Siberia and one native to Canada and the Northern United States. The North American Snow Snake is bright white in color and has a scale texture and appearance like snow. It sits in the snowbanks on the sides of hills during the winter waiting for its prey to come by. The only reason they can catch their prey is thanks to their appearance alone since they are notoriously bad actors. Snow Snakes prefer to go for smaller prey but have been known to bite witches and wizards on occasion, which results in a frost-bite at the area of the bite, a condition only known to be remedied by Tanglefoot Oil.

 ** _Answer to Reviews:_**

 **Guest (November 2nd):**

 _When will you continue?_

\- Now :) but in all seriousness, I just sometimes struggle to have the time, but I have a lot of new ideas that I hope to implement in this story at some point in the future, so even though I may not be able write all the time, I have a lot in the works.

 **Guest (October 20th):**

 _When will you continue?_

\- See above :)

 **Anonym (September 23rd):**

 _Please continue writing!_

\- Thanks, I have plenty of plans to :)

 **Ika (September 16th):**

 _Are you going to change the title to something more recognizable like "Return of the Second Salemers" or "Wizarding World: Exposed" or something?_

\- That was something on my mind for a while, because I knew that the future installments would need to have individual titles, so the general format will be "Ilvermorny and _", which I already know the next title, but I won't tease it until the end of this story ;)

 **SJKSs (September 15th):**

 _When is the next chapter going to be released?_

\- See the first review :)

 **Guest (September 2nd):**

 _How big do you personally think Ilvermorny is? I myself imagine it to be way larger than Hogwarts. One Ilvermorny house is presumably bigger than all of Hogwarts._

\- Very good question! I honestly have thought about this in the story quite frequently, because I knew that in order to make Ilvermorny more believable and more realistic. In all honesty, I think that Ilvermorny may have something close to 750 students. Anything greater than that, in my opinion, would make Ilvermorny's size unbelievable, but as I have come to realize, there is most likely a school for each region of the US, such as the East and West Coast, Middle East, and South, since there are probably tens of thousands of magical students in the US to teach, so it isn't possible for them all to be taught at Ilvermorny. Jacob and his friends were determined to go there specifically because of their situation, and for MACUSA and other powerful wizards like Headmaster Fontaine to watch over them.

 **Guest (August 18th):**

 _Will there be any Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts characters in this story?_

Yes ;) in this one and future installments. Hopefully the character I'm thinking of won't take too long to appear in this story :) I won't include them in the story's settings or properties, however, because a big purpose for this story is to be new and completely original (while being based off of Ilvermorny and North American folklore.

 **Guest (August 4th):**

 _Thanks for answering my previous question about Greenland and Iceland! Do you consider children from the Caribbean Isles and Central America to be taught at Ilvermorny like Canadians and Mexicans?_

\- Of course :) I really like answering these reviews. The thing about the Caribbean and Central America is that they're such a unique region in it of itself that I feel like there must be some sort of school for those islands and Central America. (Mageilan School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?) ;) feedback is appreciated XD

 **Hi (August 4th):**

 _Never stop writing you_ _talent!_

\- Thanks so much :D I won't :) believe me

-JT


	13. -A Quick Update-

**Answers to Reviews:**

 _Do Jacob and his friends share class with 11 year olds?_

While I knew this was a question some may have had, I had not thought that to be the case. Instead, there were enough students similar in age to Jacob and his friends that they could separate them into a whole other year by themselves. This was also the case at other various schools around the world like Castelobruxo, Hogwarts, Mahoutokoro, and Uagadou. This decision was made a few days after magic appeared in Jacob by the International Confederation of Wizards at an emergency summit in Madrid, Spain.

 _What do you have to say about the canonicity of the fantastic Beasts films and the cursed child stage play? Some consider them to both the HP books and movies while other sees them as canon to only one of which._

I was not aware that some had considered the canonicity of FB and The Cursed Child to be in question, which is surprising to me, considering that JK herself had written the script for both and is an Executive Producer on the movies. Both are considered as canon in this story.

 _If MACUSA opened themselves to the no-maj government then it means Donald Trump is aware of the magical world. Can't you write a chapter like chapter 1 in HBP where the wizard president meet trump?_

This was a question that I worked to address, but never officially wrote down the answer to. The answer to this that I came up with, is that Trump certainly does know about that world's existence, but this decision was debated by MACUSA for weeks following his induction into office. They came to an almost 50-50 conclusion, with some debating it would be a death sentence, while others debated they could end up being discovered inadvertently without telling Trump. I would've made witches and wizards despise him in JK's honor (as she is quite democratic and Scottish XD) but I have decided that a focus on reality would serve better in this situation. While he does know about their presence, most witches and wizards just generally don't like him. I could write a chapter about this, but I only will if it is necessary to the story :)

 _Will the events of the cursed child have an effect on this story since this one take place before?_

Since the major events of The Cursed Child were mainly fixed near the end of that story and since my story takes place after that, the story will have little impact on the story, other than Harry's position as an Auror, Hermione's position as Minister for Magic, and the canonicity of the events that had happened to their children. Other than that, the story I am writing is very self-contained in regard to the Harry Potter books.

 _Are american giants more sophisticated and respected than those cannibals used by Voldemort? I recall that in Fantastic Beasts there was a giant dressed in suit drinking wine at the pub._

Undoubtedly, as that scene you mentioned confirms. The folklore concerning Giants in Europe often portray them as they are in the Harry Potter books, while the folklore concerning Giants in North America often portray them as simply giant versions of humans instead. For example, Paul Bunyan was a giant from Minnesotan Folklore that worked as a lumberjack (who I have written about in my other writings). While yes, not all stories in Native American mythology make out giants to be like this, most Giants all over America are educated and simply work with MACUSA to live their lives as they will. The United States is large enough to have large portions of land designated from MACUSA for the Giants to live in peace.

 _You inspired me to write a similar to write a similar fanfic about a muggleborn going to a wizarding school. Since I'm a swede that school had to be Durmstrang. But I stopped since we know so little about that school and I struggled to make the main character relatable. Besides Durmstrang doesn't really seem to make any sense: found by a bulgarian witch, has a german name but is supposedly place in scandinavia or the baltic states ?!_

Thank you so much :) I am more than happy to help you develop the Magical Community of Sweden and even answer any questions you have in a Private Message conversation (so feel free to private message me with any questions). And honestly, the thing about Durmstrang is that it seems more logical for it to be a private school with an unknown location. Instead, it seems more logical to have a Magic School for Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and other Scandinavian countries. This aside, a Norse school that you could expand upon has already been named by an artist working at Blizzard, it is known as Vølurheim School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Whether or not you choose to work with this school or create an entirely original one is up to you, but the link to images of the professors and information about them are at this link: /gallery/5sXgx.

 _ **A Quick Update:**_

Hello everyone! Just wanted to write a quick update for you all about this story and other things concerning it.

I have been spending a lot of time thinking of the magical community of the United States and have begun to compile information dealing with just about anything in the states, from the governing of the US to the magical culture found in each state, to their own magical schools, to a more in-depth history of Ilvermorny itself. The reason I bring this up, is that I wish to provide this information to all who may be interested and even receive input from those who read this story. I have also been contacted by a Swede recently in terms of how I inspired them to write their own story. As a result, I am opening a Forum for public use by all who wish to ask me questions, advice for writing Harry Potter stories, and more. As a United States citizen, myself (who does happen to be from Minnesota but is not named Jacob 😉), I see it only being right that people write stories about the Magical Schools people from their home countries attend.

Should anyone wish to inquire about anything relating to the Magical Cultures of the United States or wish to have help regarding their own stories, feel free to post a question on the forum and I will answer as soon as I can (because attending the University of Minnesota as an engineer certainly takes a lot of time XD). In closing, I will leave you with this excerpt from "The History of Magic in Minnesota":

" _The History of Magic in Minnesota is deep, and long. Magic through wand-work was practiced for many years by Norse Witches and Wizards who had made the journey from Scandinavia all the way to Minnesota in the early Middle Ages. They had set up sparse magical communities all over Minnesota in a style similar to that of their homelands (the most notable settlement being established outside of modern day Kensington, the infamous home of the Kensignton Runestone). They named their colonies collectively as Vinland and became something off a strange settlement, since the non-magical Norse knew of its existence, but never had a clear idea of where it had been located. As a result, these people could remain in contact with other non-magical Norse settlements of Europe and North America while still safely practicing magic as they willed…"_

Forum Link: _**myforums/Jbluejake/9502251/**_

(If you wish to read more, feel free to say so on the Forum)


	14. -A Family of Secrets-

Jacob steps echoed against the stone stairs as he ventured down the into the darkness. His steps became more confident and quicker as his confidence rose. The castle had opened this dark, damp stone passage to him for a reason, and for whatever reason, he felt compelled to trust the stonework and the enchantment as it led him down the stairs towards the base of the castle. The Wampus Cat Common Room was located underground, Jacob had known that for a while now, but he knew where the entrance to it was, and the passageway he was in was not the same one. Rumor has it that the castle had many secrets buried deep underground, like old classrooms filled with dangerous relics, ancient Dragons that only grew older and never died, a direct access line to the Underground Railroad, or even the ruins of the Ilvermorny Cottage. This secret appeared to be one of the many. For Jacob, finding this passageway was exhilarating.

After a while, he reached the end of the staircase, hundreds of feet under the mountain-side. There, he reached a large wooden door. It was entirely smooth and free of any markings, even free of a door handle. Jacob approached the door and began to push on it, thinking of how the passage had closed behind him at the top of the stairs a long time ago. As he pushed, the door didn't budge; not even an inch. As he kept working to get the door to open, he grew more and more desperate. These past couple of months at Ilvermorny had been hard for him and incredibly stressful. At each and every turn he felt that he was being treated differently, simply because he grew up as a No-Maj his entire life. How did that make him any different than the all of other students?

The door stood silent and still like a stone no matter how hard Jacob tried to force it open. As he was about to give up and head back up the staircase, Jacob realized that he had recently learned _Alohomora_ in Charms and decided to give it a try, door handle or not. He pulled out his wand, held it aloft, and spoke the incantation as he waved his wand, saying: _"Alohomora"._

Nothing happened.

He held his wand aloft again and spoke the incantation again. Then a third time, a fourth time, and a fifth time, his faith and his confidence wavering more and more each time. His thoughts turned to the Giant, to his friends, to leaving his life behind, to knowing his life would never be the same again. In a fit of anguish, he aggressively waved his wand aimlessly at the door as tears began to stream down his face, saying: "Why…why, why, why why why why WHY?!" he screamed. As he did, a large burst of light erupted from the end of his wand and exploded ferociously as it hit the door. Jacob was thrown back on the cold stone brick floor, his wand undamaged. In a fit of final hope, he gazed longingly at the smoke as it cleared from the door. To his immense disappointment, the door still stood there, as cold and silent as before.

Jacob sunk onto the floor and began to cry hot streams of tears down his face. Everything that had been happening to him and the stress it caused began to bubble to the surface and overflow. He was unable to keep his stress and worries down any longer. In the silence he sobbed, alone and isolated. As his last shred of hope left him, a strange warmth fell over him and blanketed him. He stopped crying, surprised by the sudden change in mood. What he felt within him was love, hope, and happiness, the feelings you get from holding a small child in your hands, or the feelings you get from showing those you love what you mean to them. He felt this warmth emanating from the small Dragot in his pocket.

As he fished it out of his pocket, it began to glow in his hands and fill the passage with a great and calming warmth. It glowed even more brightly in his hands. He lifted it up and walked forwards, stopping at the doorway as words appeared in the stonework beneath his feet. They read: _"Listen not with the Ear of your Mind, but with the Ear of your Heart"_. Beneath that was the simple phrase:

" _Welcome Home, Jacob"_

Jacob walked towards the door and the warmth of the Dragot in his hands grew greater and greater until the door opened up before him. The chamber beyond was just as dark and quiet, until large braziers lit and filled the room with a multicolored light. Blues, Yellows, Greens, and Reds were mixed together in a Golden and Silver Light that brilliantly lit the chamber. Jacob stood there at the magnificent sight until a voice, a woman's voice, softly called out to him: "Come in, Jacob". At this soft and kind invitation, Jacob walked into the chamber and towards a large Celtic knot that sat engraved in the floor, just like it was in the Sorting Hall. On the walls were four portraits and each one of them moved and watched him as he walked in. They were portraits of Isolt Sayre, James Steward, Chadwick Boot, and Webster Boot.

Jacob stood and gazed at them in awe, turning on the spot just so he could see them all. There they were, almost as if they were still alive and were simply standing in an open window. They smiled at him warmly as he gazed at them all. He stopped at Isolt and saw in her soft deep brown eyes the love a mother would give her child. Her long black hair was braided and tied up around the back of her head. James had a gleam of pride in his green eyes and tipped his large colonial hat at Jacob. Chadwick looked at Jacob with a large grin on his face and ruffled the back of his head with his hand as a force of habit. Webster had his arms folded and had a smirk on his face as he studied Jacob. Jacob stopped gazing at them all and looked at his feet.

"So, you all probably heard me in the passage way just now, right?" they all nodded silently. James spoke up saying "Yer not the first chap to have had a row with the door, you could bet a couple quid on that and easily get yer money back I'd say". Isolt added: "Many lads and lassies even lost the Dragot as they'd be traveling down these there steps" gesturing to the door where Jacob entered. "…those ones always made a right bags of that mess" Jacob staggered there on the spot, still in shock at hearing Isolt and James as if they had never passed. He held up his hands in defense. "Okay…okay…hold on a sec please" he pleaded. "Why am I here?"

"Jacob, you've been chosen for a very special task, over everyone else in my house, Thunderbird" Chadwick began. "Your task is to take my place as a _Protector_ of this school, until you graduate of course". He gestured in his frame to a large book sitting on a pedestal at the opposite end of the room. "We've brought you here to sign this book, The Book of the Family it's called. In it are hundreds of names going back hundreds of years to the founding of this school, with each one of our names being the first entries"

Jacob walked over to the book and gazed down at it. He picked it up in his hands. It was heavy and smelled incredibly old. It's binding had clearly been repaired multiple times and the leather on both of its covers had been replaced as recently as a couple of years prior. He opened the book to the first page and sure enough, there were their names, scrawled out in an elaborate cursive: _"Isolt Sayre: August 31_ _st_ _, 1627, James Steward: August 31_ _st_ _, 1627, Chadwick Boot: August 31_ _st_ _, 1627, Webster Boot: August 31_ _st_ _, 1627"_. He kept turning the pages, staring at the dates besides countless names, deeply moved as they continuously rose the more pages he turned. _1650, 1736, 1890, 1942, 2002, 2017_.

He set the book back down and saw a pot of ink and a quill sitting in a small alcove in the wall to the right of the book. He turned back towards them. "So, I sign it like I do my assignments?" he asked. "The very same way, laddie" Isolt replied, smiling, "If you'd like". Jacob picked up the quill and held it aloft on the open page labeled: _2018_. "But…" he began, "What exactly is going to happen when I sign this book?" he asked. They hesitated for a second before replying.

"Well, by signing that book, you'll have access to any part of the school and a passage will open in the walls, taking you there as quickly as you wish… it makes for a quick getaway should a Dungbomb " _slip_ " out of your pocket" Webster told him with a wink. James continued.

"Still, that gift of yours comes with a responsibility. Things that happen in the castle caused by the relics and secrets contained within is held to be the Protectors' responsibility. You and the others are responsible of keeping the students and faculty safe from what lies deep in the lower halls" he told him. Jacob held up a hand.

"What do you mean by… _others_?" he asked. James looked back at him, catching himself before he kept rattling on.

"Oh, yes of course" he said, "You are not the only one who has been given this responsibility. There are three others, one from each of the other houses, that work with you to fulfill your task".

"You're the first one to be chosen this year" Chadwick told him. "The previous protectors all graduated last spring, so naturally, the castle has begun to choose their successors. You just happened to be the first. Let's hope that it will have chosen the other three before the year's end…"

"Why do you say that?" Jacob inquired. Webster answered.

"Well, the year that the _Dorus_ known as Twelvetrees had let slip the location of Ilvermorny, the castle was one Protector short, simply because it hadn't chosen the final one yet that year. The Castle was all in a fuss and was acting up. The Protectors found themselves missing classes just to keep the hallways unblocked, the doors unlocked, and this magic had begun to seep into the grounds as well, causing the beasts in the forests to act up and the Greenhouses were overgrown within days of being cleared" Isolt piped up.

"Well my dear Jacob, that hasn't happened for an awfully long time. When we had lain the enchantment on the castle in the first place, we had allowed the castle to choose whoever in whatever way and at whatever time it wanted. Every four years since the school was founded we have welcomed new Protectors in this room, so there is nothing for a nice laddie like you to worry about" she finished. At that, Jacob took up the quill in his hands, and wrote out the following in a Royal Cranberry Ink:

 _Jacob Johnson, Thunderbird: October 25_ _th_ _, 2018_

 **Magical Creature Profile:** _Whintosser_

The Whintosser is a mischievous creature native to the coastal mountain ranges of California. It is iconic to the Witches and Wizards of California, so much so that it is the mascot of the California's National Quodpot Team, the _Californian Whintossers_. It has more than earned this fame thanks to its bizarre appearance. Both its head and tail sit in swivel joints that can spin as fast as one hundred revolutions per minute, its black body is shaped like a triangular prism and covered in a bristly coat of fur. The Whintosser has three sets of legs that are quite useful during earthquakes, allowing the Whintosser to land on its feet during any quake or tremor. While the Whintosser is a fan among Californians, the Whintosser is quite aggressive when provoked and often may attack unprovoked. The method North American Magizoologists have developed for stopping the Whintosser is to lure it into a large pipe. In doing so, all of its legs are working at the same time and in opposite directions, therefore immobilizing the creature.

 **Replies to Guest Reviews:**

1\. This story got me thinking. How has the Wizarding world not been exposed yet during the 21st century in the age of the Internet, smartphones and snapchat?

I had received an owl back from MACUSA with the following reply to your question:

 _Through a lot of night shifts, a lot of close-calls, a ton of coffee, and hundreds of more Obliviators than we've ever needed before. We even have a room here in the Federal Bureau of Covert Vigilance and No-Maj Obliviation filled with phones that somehow caught wind of Magic. Thankfully, electronic devices tend to not capture magic well in pictures, so thankfully our job is easier in that regard._

 _Remain Vigilant_

 _-Hiranina Taggerbond_

2\. If a war between Wizards and No-Majs were to break out, as this story implies, couldn't some MACUSA Aurors just Apparate into the White house and wipe Trump, the vice president, the general and all the congressmembers out with Fiendfire or something?

The reply to this question was tied into the letter quoted in the previous question.

 _It was written into law many years ago that should we have ever been exposed that we would never commit such a crime and horrific act against the No-Maj government. The most that we would attempt to do is to Obliviate them, as we had to with Presidents before in the past. I would also like to strongly remind all that the only one aware of our world in the No-Maj government is only the sitting President. Trump, being the man he is, was at first quite hesitant to accept our presence, and still is. While he has only come to terms with this recently, he'd be the only one that needs to be obliviated and openly advocates for peace between our worlds because he knows what we're capable of. Still, each time the President of MACUSA visits him, a cordial meeting ensues as equals._

3\. How many installaments are planned?

My guess at the current time is around 5, but that number could change depending on where the story goes.

-JT


	15. -On the Shores of Lake Superior-

**-On the Shores of Lake Superior-**

Jacob began to wake up early in the morning as the small antique clock that sat up on a shelf on the opposite side of the room rang for eight o'clock. The glowing red embers that sat in the hearth at the center of the room continued to smolder as the fire from the night before began to die and fade away. Jacob threw back his sheets and stood, pulling out some of his clothes from the trunk at the foot of his bed. He turned towards the window as he pulled his arms through the sleeves of his _Kensington Kestrels_ shirt and gazed at the snow drifting by outside his window. The others slowly began to wake up as Jacob got dressed. Antonio lumbered up and out of bed with a grumble and Felix just stared at the ceiling, contemplating how much he wanted to keep sleeping. Large cardboard boxes sat next to the globe by the door filled with Christmas decorations, decorations the Pukwudgies hadn't bothered to put up themselves (which apparently, they never bother to do).

It was the first day of December and the winter vacation was rapidly approaching. All of Jacob's friends had been writing to their families each day, coordinating how and when they'd get home for their own vacations, just like Jacob was. Their professors, however, had anything but the upcoming break on their minds. Instead, they all began to tackle far harder spells and topics than they ever had before, such as the Alihosty Draught in Potions and the Ozark Howler in Defense Against the Dark Arts. As a consequence of this, all of the first-year students found themselves being awoken by the reality of their time at this school. While everything to them may have been new, magical, and exciting, this was a school that held the responsibility onto themselves to mold each student into the adults that they needed to be once they graduate and leave the school.

Jacob left the room quietly and softly closed the iron-bound wooden door behind him. He had his bookbag slung over his shoulder, which was filled with all of his textbooks, pieces of parchment, ink pots, and quills. He then walked up the cold, stone, spiral staircase that wound up the Boys' Tower and to the bridge that led into Thunderbird Tower. The bridge had been cleared earlier that morning, but it was still cold and slick from the snow and after a small walk, Jacob opened another iron-bound wooden door that led onto a small landing in the center of Thunderbird Tower, with the door that led to another bridge and the Girls' Tower on the opposite side of the room. Jacob then took the staircase upwards, through a trapdoor, and into the Common Room.

The Common Room was fairly empty that morning, with only a few students lingering on plush couches and chairs at the back of the room, quietly working on various assignments while the portraits of past Thunderbird alumni were sleeping lazily in their frames. The only sounds that were heard were the scribbling of quills and the crackling of the fire in the large stone fireplace. Jacob sat down at an empty table near the back of the room and began to work on their paper on the Ozark Howler. About a half an hour later, Felix, Antonio, and Jessica had all joined him. They then promptly left the Common Room together and made their way down the tower and to the Dining Hall for breakfast.

Upon their arrival at the Thunderbird Table in the Dining Hall, they began to eat hash browns, cereal, and pieces of toast. They drank orange-juice, apple-juice, and hot goblets filled with _Wakey-Up!_ _Brew_. Antonio unfurled and began to read the latest edition of _The New York Ghost_ before spreading it out on the table in front of them. This edition (last night's Sunset Edition) was filled with the usual stories and writings, such as the latest Quidditch scores for the American Quidditch League, Horoscopes in _The Celestial Update_ , an ad for _Ebbingdales Wonders for Wizards_ , and coverage of _The Golden Quill Awards_ in Copenhagen. Felix decided to break the silence and began to complain about their paper in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"I can't believe that Professor Gabbit assigned us a paper on the Ozark Howler with only four weeks left before Winter Break. If Professor Fey wasn't sick with Vanishing Sickness, we would not have been assigned a paper on something this complicated" Antonio looked up from his cereal.

"Yeah, we had been studying much simpler things up until now, like Dugbogs and Ashwinders. Jumping straight to the Ozark Howler after much easier topics like that was a pretty significant change, wasn't it"? Felix took a sip of orange juice before responding.

"Exactly! It definitely was. Hanging around you two is exciting enough" he smirked as he gestured towards Jessica and Jacob. Jacob looked up from his hash browns in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Felix shrugged his shoulders.

"Well…you two were the ones who were in the Library when the Giant attacked" Jessica pointed a finger at him.

"That was one time, you goof" she laughed. "And honestly if you'd rather go and play with the Flobberworms in Care of Magical Creatures than have any excitement in your life…then be my guest" she stuck her tongue out at him. They all laughed.

"I have more than enough excitement in my life, thank you very much" Felix stuck his tounge out back at her as he sniggered. "Half a year ago, the most impressive magic trick I could pull off was pulling a quarter out of my little sister's ear. Now, I can cause objects to levitate, unlock locks without a key, brew a potion, and more! Life is anything but boring right now. Still, am I able to brag about how two of my close friends were attacked by a giant?" he smiled. "Nope!"

"Well stop complaining then, you idiot" Antonio playfully pushed Felix. They all laughed. Just then, a large trapdoor in the Dining Hall's ceiling opened up. Jessica looked up and smiled.

"The mail's here!" she said.

Small brown blurs swooped, swerved, dived, and glided into the hall and through the large wooden rafters that held the Dining Hall's vaulted ceiling up. They were all owls and they were all various breeds native to North America. They landed all along the four long dining tables for each of the houses and dropped various parcels, packages, letters, newspapers, and more next to their owners. Jacob's owl, a grey Barred Owl named Greyson, swooped down next to him among the hustle and bustle and had a letter from his parents, addressed to Jacob in his dad's usual scrawl, grasped in his beak. Jacob gave Greyson a couple of good head scratches before grabbing the letter from his beak. He opened it up, unfolded the lined piece of notebook paper, and began to read the letter.

 _Dear Jacob-_

 _Your father and I have decided that if your friends were open to it, they could come spend a week or two with us at our cabin up in Duluth. We know how much they mean to you, so we wanted to do something special for them, to show them how much that means to us. Please send Greyson back as soon as you can with their reply, so we get the cabin ready in time._

 _Love,_

 _\- Mom and Dad_

Jacob was very surprised, to say the least. Still, he was glad he had this opportunity and was excited to tell his friends about it. He promptly told them about the letter and asked who'd be able to come to their cabin on the shores of Lake Superior. They all seemed pretty supportive of the idea. Jessica smiled as she heard about it.

"I'd love to come! I've never been to Minnesota before, or even to the Great Lakes for that matter" Felix nodded.

"I've seen Lake Superior before, but from the Canadian side in Thunder Bay. Still, I think it would be pretty fun, considering how I've never been to Duluth before" Antonio thought a bit before responding.

"Sure. I think that would be fun too. I don't want to miss out on anything that all of my friends are getting up to" They all then concluded that they'd be sending owls home to their families to let them know that they'd be spending Winter Break at Jacob's cabin in Duluth.

Days and weeks passed by. Soon enough, the week before Winter Break was upon them. They all got up early in the morning before entering Thunderbird Tower. They all walked up towards another small trapdoor, this time in the ceiling of the Common Room. After it opened, a long wooden ladder slowly slid out and down onto the floor for them to climb up and into. There, they found a large, cozy room filled with bookshelves, a large globe, and a large map of the United States on the wall behind a long and low wooden desk. The only light in the dark maroon room came from a small and quaint fireplace in the corner of the room. It was the living quarters for the Thunderbird Head of House, Professor Fey.

Professor Fey sat solemnly behind her desk, but it was hard to know for sure if she was, since her case of Vanishing Sickness had caused her arms, hands, and head to disappear, so it just looked like a ghost was wearing Professor Fey's robes while invisible. She greeted them with a wave…. with a waving sleeve.

"Good afternoon Jacob, Antonio, Felix, and Jessica!" her disembodied voice emanating from the hole in her robes where her neck was supposed to be. "Sorry for the lack of…you know…" her sleeve gestured to her lack of a head. "…this" she muttered. Antonio shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.

"It's nothing…" he laughed awkwardly. "At least you don't have to worry about your hair, right…?" she sighed.

"I suppose so. Nothing can ever keep you down Antonio" she stood from her chair and walked over to the fireplace. "Now, since the Ilvermorny Railway isn't going to be arriving here at Mount Greylock for a couple of weeks, you all will be taking the Northern Floo Network to Champlin, Jacob's home" she grabbed a small flower pot off of the mantlepiece, pooled a small handful of what looked like sand into her invisible hand, and threw it into the fireplace. The fireplace then grew green and roared loudly before dying down to a small green hum. Felix turned towards her figure in confusion.

"Wait, what exactly are we doing?" the Professor's body turned towards him.

"You're taking the Northern Floo Network to Champlin. I just said that" Felix shook his head.

"No no no…I meant what are we doing with that fire" the Professor laughed.

"Oh, you're going to be stepping into the fire, shouting out where you want to go, and then you'll be brought there. That's how the Floo Network works" Jessica did a double take.

"And what if we don't say where we want to go correctly…?" the Professor huffed.

"Honestly, has anyone even _mentioned_ the Floo Network to you four?!" they all sheepishly looked at their feet. She sighed. "Yes Jessica, saying the name wrong will send you somewhere where you didn't intend to go, but we can worry about that later. If you end up in Chicago, stand under the Cloud Gate and tap your wand three times on the ground. If you end up in Indianapolis, head to the Christopher Columbus statue at the Indiana Statehouse and tap the base with your wand and speak the incantation-" Jessica sighed in exasperation and interrupted her.

"Sorry to interrupt professor, but I think that we'll be fine" she nodded (or at least they think she did).

"Good. Now, MACUSA, The Minnesotan Council of Things, and the Federal Floo Network Bureau have been in contact with me and have established a temporary connection between my fireplace and the rest of the Northern Floo Network. So, just step into the flames, say Jacob's address (yes, the entire thing), and you'll be on your way. Felix! How about you go first?" she asked. He walked up to the fireplace, ducked down, and waddled in on his haunches before yelling.

"3206 DRAGSBURG LANE, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, 55443!" It was quite comical, seeing this Canadian boy sitting there on his haunches, surrounded by green flames, yelling out someone's address like a toddler who finally memorized his family's address for the first time. With a prompt roar, he disappeared into the flames and was gone. Soon after, Jessica and Antonio followed suit, looking just as comical and funny. Jacob had a hard time not laughing out loud when Antonio got stuck and was covered in soot. Jacob himself then climbed into the fireplace and smiled at the Professor before disappearing into the flames.

Jacob could see hundreds of chimneys flying past as he was squeezed through what felt like a chimney, before flying out of a grate and onto the floor of his family's living room, face first into the rug. His dad quickly helped him out and brought him to his feet, wiping off the soot covering his hair.

"There you go Jacob!" he smiled, "Welcome back"

Travelling by the Northern Floo Network for the first time was a bit nauseating for Felix, Antonio, and Jessica. Once they collected themselves and moved past their nausea, Jacob's parents invited them into their kitchen for some lunch. They all opened up to his parents fairly quickly. Felix found himself telling them all about his home in Quebec City and how much he enjoyed it there. Antonio opened up about his home in Zacatecas soon after, with Jessica eagerly joining in about her home in the North End of Boston. Once they had finished dinner, Jacob's father stood and looked at Jacob.

"So, now that we've all finished, we should be getting ready to make our way up to Duluth. The car is ready for the trip and filled with all of our supplies, so whenever you're all ready, we can get going" they all were ready shortly after, and they made their way to Duluth. It took them a couple of hours to reach the North Shore, but they were able to pass the time easily by telling stories to Jacob's parents about Ilvermorny. By about five o'clock in the evening, they pulled up to a large, low, and wooden house resting on rocky bluffs above Lake Superior. It was surrounded by bare, wooden trees that stuck out from the soft white snow surrounding them. It was very cold, but inside there was plenty of firewood brought up by Jacob's parents a couple of nights before they arrived.

They all settled in, unpacked their things, and then took a drive in their car into downtown Duluth for some dinner at a local brewery. When they returned to the cabin, it was late in the evening, so much so that they all settled down to sleep. Felix took the bed in the room he normally slept in, but they had also decided to give the pull-out bed to Antonio to sleep in. Jacob then took the pull-out bed in the Living Room to sleep in. He happily laid there under his sheets, glad that he was spending some time with his friends. Right as his eyes began to droop in the darkness of the cozy room, he heard what sounded like a small clicking from the window overlooking the lake.

At first, he had assumed that it was his imagination, but the clicking noise continued in successive intervals, as if something outside was trying to get his attention. As he drew back his sheets and stood, he grabbed his Dragot off of the coffee table besides him. It lit up in his hand on command and illuminated the face of a Barred Owl holding a letter. Jacob unlocked the clasp on the window and took the letter from the owl's beak. The letter was addressed to him, but he had no idea who had sent it. The owl flew off before he could thank it, so he shut the window, pulled on a lamp, and set the envelope down on the table before breaking the wax seal and unfolding the parchment that was inside.

 _This Official Document/Letter has been issued under the awareness and approval of The Minnesotan Council of Things_

 _Jacob Johnson-_

 _My name is Richard Fylgia, and I am the head of the Minnesotan Council of Things, the governing body for Minnesotan Witches and Wizards. The Council has sent this letter to you because your presence is needed tomorrow at our headquarters here in Duluth, Minnesota. We wish to discuss with you the recent events that have been occurring in here in the United States and what information we have concerning these events._

 _Please make your way to Leif Erickson statue in Leif Erickson Park by Noon tomorrow._

 _Best Wishes,_

 _Richard Fylgia, Head of the Minnesotan Council of Things_

Jacob took the letter up in his hands and reread it multiple times, just to make sure he understood what he had been reading. He kept rereading it the following morning and shared it with his family and friends over breakfast the following morning. They were all very supportive and even excited to hear what it was like, The Minnesotan Council of Things. Jacob, on the other hand, was slightly nervous. He had no idea what they would possibly be telling him or what the council would even be like. Still, soon enough, he found himself standing in front of the large Leif Erickson statue that stood in Leif Erickson Park, a park that rested on the shores of Lake Superior.

He approached the large, iron fence surrounding the statue. He glanced at his watch, waiting for it to hit noon. As soon as it did, Leif Erickson glanced down at him and knocked his metal fist down onto his stone pedestal four times. Jacob glanced down at the pedestal and read: " _Leif Erickson, Discoverer of America_ ". Just then, the pedestal slid backwards, and the fence opened up before him, revealing a wooden staircase that led down into a stone, torchlit chamber.

 ** _Magical Creature Profile, Fighting Bumblebees:_**

The Fighting Bumblebees are a species of magical creature native to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, specifically Washington and Oregon (even though they have been seen migrating to northern regions of California, they're native to these regions exclusively). The giant Paul Bunyan had ordered a shipment of them from some relations who lived and harvested their honey, simply to help his logging companions be freed from the Giant Mosquitos (another breed of magical creature native to North Dakota), who had been eating their livestock. Sadly, this only resulted in the creation of the Mosquitobee, a giant bee-mosquito hybrid that now lives in the most remote regions of the Badlands. The Fighting Bumblebees had passed on their aggressive behaviors to their Mosquitobee descendants, leaving North Dakota with two large sets of highly dangerous magical creatures.

 ** _Answers to Guest Reviews:_**

 _Will you continue the story?_ (From Schmittiz)

Yep. It just takes some time to keep forging ahead. I'm like a Runespoor, with the right head (the critic) being the loudest while I'm writing.

 _This is very, very cool :-)_ (From Vincent FGS91)

Thanks :) I appreciate it.

 _Normally, people like Fontaine and even Dumbledore would take Divination with a shrug. However, desperate times, desperate measures as they say._ (From Vincent FGS91)

Well, yes, and no. Xylomancy is a form of Divination taught as a class on its own at Ilvermorny. While I do agree that Divination is a very faulty branch of magic, it can be correct on certain occasions, just as Professor Trelawny was during the events of _Harry Potter_. Headmaster Fontaine happens to be a very lucky man, so much so that you'd think he starts every morning by drinking _Wakey-Up! Brew_ laced with Felix Felicis (which of course he doesn't do).

 _MOREMOREMOREMOREMOREEEEEE!_ (From Vincent FGS91)

Here you go :)

 _Thanks for leaving reviews and thanks for the large amount of support for this story! It means a lot to me._

 _-JT_


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